Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
CDC Alerts States To Start Preparing For Vaccine Rollout As Soon As Late October
McClatchy: CDC Sends ‘Urgent’ Request For COVID Vaccine Plans By Nov. 1
Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, sent a letter last week to the nation’s governors with an urgent request. The Trump administration wanted them to do everything in their power to eliminate hurdles for vaccine distribution sites to be fully operational by Nov. 1. The Aug. 27 letter, obtained by McClatchy, asked governors to fast-track permits and licenses for new distribution sites. “The normal time required to obtain these permits presents a significant barrier to the success of this urgent public health program,” Redfield wrote. (Wilner, 9/2)
The New York Times: C.D.C. Tells States How To Prepare For Covid-19 Vaccine By Early November
The new C.D.C. guidance is the latest sign of an accelerating race for a vaccine to ease a pandemic that has killed more than 184,000 Americans. The documents were sent out on the same day that President Trump told the nation in his speech to the Republican National Convention that a vaccine might arrive before the end of the year. (Kaplan, Wu and Thomas, 9/2)
NPR: CDC Asks States To Plan For Potential Vaccine Distribution Starting In Late October
The federal government has long aimed to have a COVID-19 vaccine ready by Jan. 2021, and established an initiative it calls Operation Warp Speed to accelerate the process of developing, manufacturing and distributing an effective vaccine. That process typically takes up to several years. (9/2)
NBC News: CDC Tells States To Prepare For 'Large-Scale' Distribution Of COVID-19 Vaccine By Nov. 1
[Dr. Robert] Redfield called the effort "massive" and asked governors for their help expediting applications for distribution facilities that will be set up and operated by pharmaceutical company McKesson Corp. "If necessary," Redfield added, the agency "asks you to consider waiving requirements that would prevent these facilities from being fully operational by November 1, 2020." (Stelloh and Ruggiero, 9/2)
The Hill: CDC Asks States To Have Vaccine Sites Ready By Nov. 1
“The normal time required to obtain these permits presents a significant barrier to the success of this urgent public health program,” Redfield wrote. “CDC urgently requests your assistance in expediting applications for these distribution facilities and, if necessary, asks that you consider waiving requirements that would prevent these facilities from becoming fully operational by November 1, 2020.” (Wilson, 9/2)
Fox News: CDC: Coronavirus Vaccine Could Arrive In October, November; Asks States To Prepare
Two ongoing clinical trials are on track to conclude at the end of this year but Fauci said an independent board has the authority and “moral obligation” to end the trial early and distribute it to accelerate distribution if the results are good, according to Kaiser Health News. The vaccine’s potential fall timeline has raised some concerns by health experts over possible political pressure by President Trump and the White House to hurry a vaccine before the Nov. 3 election, even if it’s not safe. (Stimson, 9/3)
Will the FDA grant emergency authorization to a vaccine before trials end? —
The Washington Post: Debate Rages Over Whether FDA Should Use Emergency Powers To Clear A Coronavirus Vaccine Early
A fierce debate has erupted over whether the Food and Drug Administration should use its emergency authority to clear a coronavirus vaccine before it is formally approved — a move opponents warn could pose safety dangers and inflame anti-vaccination sentiment but others say could save thousands of lives by speeding protection from the virus. With concerns growing about the politicization of the FDA amid a botched White House rollout of the agency’s emergency authorization of convalescent plasma and sharply criticized comments by FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn, some scientists and bioethicists are demanding the agency forgo use of its emergency authority for a vaccine. They worry its very flexibility, which gives FDA officials broad latitude, could make it easier for the White House to pressure the agency into clearing an unproven vaccine before Election Day, Nov. 3. (McGinley and Johnson, 9/2)
