As Vaccine Push Speeds Ahead, Public Confidence Lags Behind
Vaccine makers and the federal government accelerated development of potential COVID-19 vaccines at an unprecedented pace. But the mixed messages about safety and politics has created hesitancy among Americans, surveys show.
Stat:
Operation Warp Speed Pledged To Do The Impossible. How Far Has It Come?
It’s called Operation Warp Speed. And — regardless of one’s politics, one’s level of concern about Covid-19, or one’s views of therapeutics and vaccines — it inarguably ranks as one of the most ambitious scientific endeavors in modern U.S. history. Is it working? (Branswell, Herper, Facher, Silverman and Florko, 9/8)
CBS News:
Voters Skeptical About Potential COVID-19 Vaccine And Say That One This Year Would Be Rushed
Skepticism about getting a coronavirus vaccine has grown since earlier this summer, and most voters say if a vaccine were made available this year, their first thought would be that it was rushed through without enough testing. Just 21% of voters nationwide now say they would get a vaccine as soon as possible if one became available at no cost, down from 32% in late July. Most would consider it but would wait to see what happens to others before getting one. (de Pinto, 9/6)
The Hill:
Majority Expect To See Coronavirus Vaccine In 2021: Poll
A majority of voters say they expect a coronavirus vaccine will be available to the public by next year, according to a new Harvard CAPS-Harris survey released exclusively to The Hill on Friday. Sixty-three percent of respondents said they think a vaccine for the virus will be available in 2021, while 37 percent said they believed it would be available by the end of the year. (Manchester, 9/4)
CNN:
Another Federal Official Raises Questions About Trump's Vaccine Timeline
Another federal official is making it clear that despite President Trump's predictions, there's hardly any chance a vaccine will be available to Americans by Election Day. "I don't know any scientist involved in this effort who thinks we will be getting shots into arms any time before Election Day," said the official, who is familiar with Operation Warp Speed, the federal government's effort to develop coronavirus vaccines. (Cohen, 9/7)
In related vaccine news —
Stat:
A Second U.S. Agency Will Review Moderna's Vaccine Patent Disclosures
A second U.S. government agency is now reviewing whether Moderna (MRNA) properly disclosed millions of dollars in federally funded awards in several patents and patent applications the company filed for its vaccines. The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority is reviewing contracts awarded to the vaccine maker in response to a request from an advocacy group that analyzed dozens of patent applications. To date, BARDA has awarded the company up to $955 million to develop a vaccine based on its mRNA technology that would be jointly invented by the National Institutes of Health. (Silverman, 9/4)
