President Donald Trump accused Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Stephen Hahn of “playing games” with people’s “lives” by not yet granting Pfizer an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for its coronavirus vaccine.
WASHINGTON, DC – APRIL 24: U.S. President Donald Trump and Stephen Hahn, Director of the Food and Drug Administration participate in the daily coronavirus task force briefing at the White House on April 24, 2020 in Washington, DC. Earlier on Friday, President Trump signed into law the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act, a $484 billion bill that aids small businesses and hospitals under stress from the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
An FDA advisory panel voted Thursday evening to approve the vaccine following a nine-hour long virtual meeting, the final hurdle preventing the vaccine from receiving its formal EUA sign off from the government. But as of press time, the FDA had not yet issued the EUA. (RELATED: FDA Advisory Panel Approves Pfizer Coronavirus Vaccine, Clearing Way For Final Authorization And Distribution)
“While my pushing the money drenched but heavily bureaucratic US FDA saved five years in the approval of NUMEROUS great new vaccines, it is still a big, old, slow turtle,” Trump tweeted Friday morning. “Get the dam [sic] vaccines out NOW, Dr. Hahn @SteveFDA. Stop playing games and start saving lives!!!”
While my pushing the money drenched but heavily bureaucratic @US_FDA saved five years in the approval of NUMEROUS great new vaccines, it is still a big, old, slow turtle. Get the dam vaccines out NOW, Dr. Hahn @SteveFDA. Stop playing games and start saving lives!!!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 11, 2020
The Swine Flu (H1N1), and the attempt for a vaccine by the Obama Administration, with Joe Biden in charge, was a complete and total disaster. Now they want to come in and take over one of the “greatest and fastest medical miracles in modern day history.” I don’t think so!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 11, 2020
The Trump administration’s Operation Warp Speed distribution plan shows vaccine distribution beginning 24 hours after an EUA is granted, and Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said Friday morning on Good Morning America that he expects people will begin being vaccinated Monday.
“Just a little bit ago the FDA informed Pfizer that they do intend to proceed towards an authorization for their vaccine, so in the next couple of days probably as we work to negotiate with Pfizer the information doctors need to prescribe it appropriately,” he explained. “We should be seeing the authorization of this first vaccine and, as you just said, we will work with Pfizer to get that shipped out and so we could be seeing people getting vaccinated Monday, Tuesday of next week.”
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