Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Fauci Walks Back Comments Suggesting Hasty UK Vaccine Approval
AP: Fauci Apologizes For Suggesting UK Rushed Vaccine Decision
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, had sparked controversy with an earlier interview in which he said U.K. regulators hadn’t acted “as carefully” as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Fauci said late Thursday that he meant to say U.S. authorities do things differently than their British counterparts, not better, but his comments weren’t phrased properly. “I do have great faith in both the scientific community and the regulatory community at the U.K., and anyone who knows me and my relationship with that over literally decades, you know that’s the case,” Fauci told the BBC. (Kirka, 12/4)
The New York Times: After A Skirmish Over U.K. Vaccine Approval, Fauci Offers An Olive Branch
British and American officials sparred Thursday over how Britain had beaten the United States to authorizing a coronavirus vaccine, a debate touching upon both regulatory standards and politics that has heated up as wealthy countries vie to receive the first shipments of vaccines. Gavin Williamson, Britain’s education secretary, appeared to be crowing when he said that Britain had won the race to authorize the first fully tested coronavirus vaccine because its regulators were superior. (12/4)
In related news about the United Kingdom's COVID vaccine —
The Hill: Britain Will Compensate Citizens For Any COVID-19 Vaccine Side Effects
Britain is set to provide payments to any citizen who experiences adverse side effects as a result of taking a coronavirus vaccine, the country announced Thursday. Pfizer and BioNTech will begin distributing their vaccines in the country soon, prompting the British government to line up precautionary measures. (Jenkins, 12/3)
The Hill: UK Nursing Home Residents May Have To Travel For Vaccine, Official Says
A British official on Thursday said that some nursing home residents may have to travel to receive the coronavirus vaccine. “The NHS [National Health Service], the MHRA [Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency] are working really hard right now to try and find a solution, so that we can get this into care homes if we possibly can. ... At this point, there is no absolute assurance of that,” Deputy Chief Medical Officer Jonathan Van-Tam told ITV’s “This Morning,” according to Reuters. (Budryk, 12/3)
NPR: UK's Approval Of Pfizer Vaccine Should 'Give People Hope', Vaccine Expert Says
The United Kingdom gave emergency approval this week to a COVID-19 vaccine, and plans to begin rolling it out next week. Though Russia had previously approved a vaccine, the U.K. is the first country where regulators approved a vaccine that is backed by transparent science. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will consider granting its regulatory approval next week. Pfizer and BioNTech, a German firm, which developed the vaccine, say it is 95% effective based on the latest clinical trial involving 43,000 subjects. (Langfitt, 12/3)
