New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo recently said he was “not that confident” in the FDA’s process for reviewing and approving potential COVID-19 vaccines. “I think it’s going to be a very skeptical American public about taking the vaccine, and they should be,” he said.
Other Democrats have echoed Cuomo’s concerns. That kind of rhetoric is irresponsible. By sowing distrust in potential coronavirus vaccines as part of an effort to score political points against President Trump, they risk prolonging the pandemic and putting more lives at risk.
The FDA has already outlined guidance for vaccine manufacturers to ensure the safety and efficacy of a potential vaccine. Just last week, an FDA advisory committee composed of outside scientists, doctors, and physicians met to review data and ensure the FDA guidelines were on the right track.
The safety mechanisms in place are working as intended. Trials of the Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca vaccine candidates came to a halt as soon as safety concerns arose. If anything, U.S. regulators may be exercising too much caution. Trials of the AstraZeneca vaccine resumed in the United Kingdom last month, and they only started back up here in the United States a few days ago.
In a recent interview, Dr. Moncef Slaoui, the chief adviser of the federal government’s “Operation Warp Speed,” affirmed this sentiment, saying he’s received “absolutely no pressure” to rush development. He said he hopes everyone in America could receive a vaccine by June.
The last thing we need is prominent politicians spreading misinformation about vaccines. According to Pew Research, only about half of U.S. adults say they’d “definitely or probably” get the COVID-19 vaccine if it were available today.
That figure is even lower among particularly vulnerable groups. Only 17% of black people say they would “definitely” get the vaccine if it were free and proven safe, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Back in May, nearly three-quarters of the country said they’d get the vaccine.
The best vaccine in the world is useless if people are unwilling to take it. By encouraging skepticism about potential coronavirus vaccines, Democrats are playing politics with people’s lives.
Sally C. Pipes is president, CEO, and Thomas W. Smith fellow in Health Care Policy at the Pacific Research Institute. Her latest book is False Premise, False Promise: The Disastrous Reality of Medicare for All (Encounter 2020). Follow her on Twitter @sallypipes.
