Update tonight following my story: #FDA "is also prepared to rapidly schedule additional meetings of this committee upon submission of any applications as appropriate." -- @SteveFDA
Noting: I repeatedly asked #FDA if it would hold #COVID19 vaccine-specific adcoms before the agency granted EUA or licensure. FDA declined yesterday to commit to holding any vaccine-specific adcoms prior to EUA or licensure. Hahn tonight now saying FDA is "prepared" to do so.
So what's the point of Oct. 22 adcom if #FDA will hold #COVID19 vaccine-specific adcoms now (again, Thursday they refused to commit to doing that). After a lot of criticism, @SteveFDA Hahn now saying they are "prepared" to [prepared is not commitment]. spglobal.com/marketintellig…
This week has been chaotic for the Trump administration's public health agencies - #FDA & #CDC specifically - and has done a lot of damage.
Was that damage the point? Was leaving Americans confused the point?
We're in the midst of a deadly #COVID19 pandemic.
182,000 U.S. DEAD
And to emphasize one more time: "Prepared" is not a solid commitment from @SteveFDA to actually do so.
It still sounds like he's leaving himself a lot of wiggle-room.
If @SteveFDA is serious about ensuring the public trust, he would come right out and commit to holding #COVID19 vaccine-specific #FDA adcoms. Hahn's statement tonight is not a full commitment to do that. "Prepared" is not a commitment.
He seems to want it both ways.
Reminder: We are still waiting on @SteveFDA to issue a full retraction & apology for his Aug. 23 false/misleading #convalescentplasma remarks. He's made excuses for why he made such a big error - again he's a doctor - but he's not retracted those statements nor said "I'm sorry."
And if @SteveFDA was also serious about ensuring the public trust, he wouldn't issue another fuzzy statement on a Friday night - similar to what @CDCDirector Redfield did late Wednesday night.
And one more thing from #FDA to top off your Friday night: "Ms. Miller remains an appointee at the FDA and generally we do not discuss personnel matters."
I miss the days of writing about innovation, government workers doing good things. [Yeah, yeah, there's been scandals too]. But this isn't good where instead of being witnesses to history, our reporting is consumed with the daily chaos/turmoil of our U.S. public health agencies.
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.@WHCOVIDResponse briefing coming up at 10:30amET with someone different today: #HHS@SecBecerra, who's joining @CDCDirector Walensky, #NIH Fauci, Jeff Zients to discuss a roadmap to enable US to move forward safely & sustain/build on progress #COVID19😷
"Throughout our history we’ve learned this lesson – when dictators do not pay a price for their aggression, they cause more chaos. They keep moving. And, the costs & threats to America & the world keep rising.
"#Putin’s war was premeditated & unprovoked. He rejected efforts at diplomacy. He thought the West & @NATO wouldn’t respond. And, he thought he could divide us here at home.
Putin was wrong. We were ready."
.@VP@KamalaHarris: For the last year we've had people in positions of incredible power scapegoating Asian-Americans. People with the biggest pulpits spreading this kind of hate.
.@VP@KamalaHarris: A harm against any one of us is a harm against all of us.
The president and I will not be silent. We will not stand by. We will always speak out against violence, hate crimes & discrimination, wherever and whenever it occurs.