ABC News and several news outlets reported that White House chief of staff Mark Meadows called FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn Friday and told him that he could face firing if the FDA did not grant emergency use authorization for Pfizer's coronavirus shot by the end of the day.
"First of all, the representations in the press that I was threatened to be fired if we didn't get it done by a certain date is inaccurate," Hahn said during a Saturday morning press conference.
"Science and data guided the FDA's decision. We worked quickly based on the urgency of this pandemic, not because of any other external pressure," he added.
MORE: FDA grants emergency use authorization for Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine
His comments come after President Donald Trump injected himself into the process on Friday by heckling at the agency on Twitter, calling federal regulators a "big, old, slow turtle."
"Get the dam vaccines out NOW, Dr. Hahn," Trump tweeted. "Stop playing games and start saving lives."
At the time of Hahn's reported phone call with Meadows, the FDA was already on track to greenlight the vaccine. The final go-ahead was given Friday evening, one day after an FDA panel called the vaccine safe and strongly protective.
Shots for health workers and nursing home residents are expected to begin in the coming days.
Copyright © 2020 WPVI-TV. All Rights Reserved.
World - Latest - Google News
December 12, 2020 at 10:30PM
https://ift.tt/37YMLsn
FDA chief Stephen Hahn calls reports of White House threats over Pfizer COVID vaccine authorization 'inaccurate' - WPVI-TV
World - Latest - Google News
https://ift.tt/2SeTG7d
https://ift.tt/35oCZy1
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "FDA chief Stephen Hahn calls reports of White House threats over Pfizer COVID vaccine authorization 'inaccurate' - WPVI-TV"
Post a Comment