The state of Michigan has said it will not agree to distribute a COVID-19 vaccine in the absence of good enough federal data, and joins a developing list of states that would refuse to distribute a vaccine if it had been approved on a political calendar.
On Friday, the state fitness branch told the TPM that it would agree to distribute a federally approved vaccine without completing protective and efficacy trials or without the approval of an independent clinical board.
Instead, a spokeswoman said, the state must review the knowledge before agreeing to distribute the vaccine.
“Before making decisions about the distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine in Michigan, we would like to compare the knowledge of efficacy and protection of any approved vaccine,” Department of Health spokeswoman Lynn Sutfin told TPM on Friday.
He added that the state would “expect transparency at the federal point in relation to this knowledge so that we can make an informed decision.”
On Thursday, officials from three states said they would refuse to play with any attempt by the Trump administration to accelerate a vaccine beyond the typical and review process.
A spokesperson for the California Department of Public Health told the TPM that the state would distribute a vaccine that was in compliance with Phase III trials or that it had been sent to an independent review panel.Officials in Washington and New York also said they would distribute the vaccine..
Statements threaten to alter the Trump administration’s plan to begin distributing a vaccine before the November election.As recently as last week, CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield told states that they have “fully operational” vaccine distribution sites through November 1.
President Trump has pressured the Food and Drug Administration, which is guilty of tracking and approving vaccine candidates, to temporarily approve a vaccine, saying the “deep state” is slowing down the process.
– Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 22, 2020
The FDA did not reject a request for feedback on its vaccine awareness percentage target with states.
HHS spokesman Michael Caputo told TPM that “Any suggestion that the FDA would prematurely authorize a COVID-19 vaccine is irresponsible and undermines confidence in our public fitness system.Knowledge is the progression of all COVID-19 vaccines and countermeasures, and the administration has made it clear that any vaccine distributed to other Americans will be subject to the FDA gold standard.”
Officials of Operation Warp Speed, the Trump administration’s effort to boost the vaccine, have promised to “overwhelm” radio waves with messages about vaccines through November.
But it is very likely that any of the 3 vaccine applicants who are in Phase III lately have sufficient knowledge to be evaluated at that time.Dr. Moncef Slaoui, director of Operation Warp Speed, said Thursday that it would be “extremely” that a vaccine has compiled enough knowledge of the trial for approval until the end of October.