09/03/2020

CDC to States: Plan to Distribute COVID-19 Vaccine as Soon as Nov. 1

The deadline is heightening fears the agency is under pressure to act before Election Day

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is telling state health officials to be ready to distribute a coronavirus vaccine to health-care workers and other high-priority groups as soon as Nov. 1, heightening fears that the agency is under pressure to approve a vaccine before Election Day. Some scientists warn that granting emergency authorization to a vaccine before clinical trials are complete could pose safety dangers and inflame anti-vaccination sentiment — but others say that doing so could save thousands of lives.

More than 6,073,000 coronavirus infections and 182,000 fatalities have been reported in the United States since February. A Minnesota biker who attended the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally has died of covid-19 — the first fatality traced to the 10-day event that drew more than 400,000 to South Dakota. At least 260 cases in 11 states have been linked to the rally. Cheap, widely available steroids reduced the number of deaths in patients with severe cases of COVID-19, according to three newly published clinical trials.

This week, United Airlines announced it will furlough more than 16,000 employees once a federal payroll support program expires at the end of September. After facing criticism for visiting a San Francisco hair salon that was not cleared to reopen, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) maintained that she had been “set up.”

Please select this link to read the complete article from The Washington Post.