Trump Reportedly Considers Fast-Tracking Unproven British Vaccine Before Election

Trump Reportedly Considers Fast-Tracking Unproven British Vaccine Before Election The president is desperate for a coronavirus win as his mishandling of the pandemic drags down his reelection chances. YahooNews

President Donald Trump is considering bypassing standard testing procedures to push an unproven British COVID-19 vaccine in the U.S. in time for the presidential election, the Financial Times reported.

The British vaccine is being developed in partnership between pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca and Oxford University. Trump is considering pressuring the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to issue an “emergency use authorization” for the British vaccine in October, the FT reported, citing unnamed sources. AstraZeneca said it hasn’t discussed such an order with the Trump administration.

Trump, his poll numbers sagging amid his administration’s mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic, has been touting unproven treatments ahead of the election regardless of the possible health risks.

On Sunday, the eve of the Republican National Convention, he announced his Food and Drug Administration had given emergency approval for blood plasma treatment for COVID-19 patients ― a treatment that hasn’t been proven effective in robust clinical trials. Trump announced the order at a news conference, calling it a “great thing.”  He promised that “you’ll be hearing” about vaccines “very soon.”

The British vaccine appeared relatively safe in a study of 1,000 patients reported in the Lancet late last month— though with several side effects. But it’s still not known if the vaccine will prevent COVID-19 or lessen symptoms. It could be a number of months before that’s determined in larger Phase 3 clinical trials with several thousand volunteers. Most experts predict a vaccine will be ready next year. ...