The White House has reportedly threatened FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn with the possible loss of his job if he does not approve the Pfizer vaccine by the end of the day.
White House chief of staff, Mark Meadows, spoke to Commissioner Hahn on Friday (photo right) by phone, reports Axios, and said Meadows had “indicated” that Hahn’s “job security may be at risk.” Hahn has since denied printing Meadows.
First reporting on the exchange, the Washington Post said: “White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows said Friday to Stephen Hahn, the Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, to hand in his resignation when the agency released the first coronavirus vaccine Land does not release until the end of the day. ”
Trump himself put Hahn under very public pressure on Friday morning and tweeted that he should approve the “dam” vaccine “now”.
While my pressure on the soggy but heavily bureaucratic @US_FDA saved five years in approving NUMEROUS great new vaccines, it’s still a big, old, slow turtle. Get the mother vaccines out NOW, Dr. Hahn @SteveFDA. Stop playing and save lives !!!
– Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 11, 2020
Axios calls it “another example of the White House putting political pressure on the FDA to give the green light to a coronavirus vaccine.”
There is essentially no chance the vaccine won’t get approved after an FDA advisory committee recommended approval on Thursday.
But any suggestion that the FDA speed up approval or cut back on it could have a hugely negative impact on some, especially conservatives, who are already against taking the vaccine.
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