THE White House has told the Food and Drug Administration boss to approve a Covid vaccine by Friday – or resign.
President Donald Trump’s Chief of Staff Mark Meadows reportedly told FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn to quit if the agency didn’t clear the vaccine – which has been approved in the UK, Bahrain, and Canada – by the end of the day.
The Washington Post first reported the news hours after Trump compard the FDA to an “old, slow turtle.
The president called on the agency via Twitter to “get the dam [sic] vaccines out now” as the USA battles a Covid-19 surge.
“While my pushing the money drenched but heavily bureaucratic @US_FDA saved five years in the approval of NUMEROUS great new vaccines, it is still a big, old, slow turtle,” Trump raged this morning.
“Get the dam [sic] vaccines out NOW, Dr. Hahn @SteveFDA. Stop playing games and start saving lives!!!”
The Twitter statement came just hours after a federal panel of external experts recommended the FDA grant emergency use authorization to the vaccine produced by Pfizer and BioNTech in a vote.
The group concluded that the safety and efficacy of the vaccine top the risks a new jab presents as the number of total deaths skyrocketed past the 290,000 mark.
A decision is set to be made within days but the FDA is expected to follow the recommendation as coronavirus cases surge in the US.
Daily deaths topped 3,000 this week and the CDC predicted that 12,600 to 23,400 new #COVID19 deaths will be reported during the week ending January 2.
“These forecasts predict 332,000 to 362,000 total Covid-19 deaths in the United States by January,” the federal agency said.
Trump headed a vaccine summit earlier this week to tout the speed the delivery of a vaccine via Operation Warp Speed once it’s approved.
Trump attributed the rising cases to increased testing – before he issued a stinging attack on President-elect Joe Biden today.
“Now that the Biden Administration will be a scandal plagued mess for years to come, it is much easier for the Supreme Court of the United States to follow the Constitution and do what everybody knows has to be done,” he said.
“They must show great Courage & Wisdom. Save the USA!!
His comment s come after Biden’s brother James was caught up in FBI investigation into a hospital business he was involved in – a day after Hunter revealed his own tax probe.
