The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is asking states to expedite approval for coronavirus vaccine sites so they would be ready by November 1.
According to CDC, the states may have to remove some licensing and permit requirements to speed up the process of setting up the coronavirus vaccine sites.
“The normal time require to obtain these permits presents a significant barrier to the success of this urgent public health program,” the CDC said based on an Aug. 27 letter to state governors obtained by CNBC.
“CDC urgently requests your assistance in expediting applications for these distribution facilities and, if necessary, asks that you consider waiving requirements that would prevent these facilities from becoming fully operational by November 1, 2020," the agency said.
Waiving licenses
CDC Director Robert Redfield stressed that the licensing waivers “will not compromise the safety or integrity of the products being distributed.”
“Your assistance in helping expedite the issuance of necessary licenses and permits required for the distribution centers to become operational will be critical to the success of this public health effort to mitigate the threat presented by Covid-19,” he noted.
CDC's statement comes as drugmakers and public health officials try to develop a safe and effective Covid-19 vaccine by the end of 2020 and as scientists are worried that President Donald Trump might be pressuring health officials to rush a vaccine to the market.
As part of the Trump administration’s Operation Warp Speed initiative, the government has signed deals that cost billions of dollars for the development and distribution of six potential vaccines. These include potential vaccines from drug companies Moderna, Pfizer, and AstraZeneca, which are in phase three trials.
In an interview with the Financial Times, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn said that they are willing to bypass the full federal approval process in order to make a Covid-19 vaccine accessible as soon as possible.
Vaccine distribution
White House Health Advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci said that the US could get results from one of the late-stage clinical trials by November or sooner.
“Things are really right on target,” Fauci told MSNBC. ” I think you’ll know by the end of this year, November, December, that we do have a safe and effective vaccine.”
US health officials and scientists have been speeding up the development of coronavirus vaccine candidates by holding multiple stages of research.
According to public health experts, the US must prepare for Covid-19 vaccine distribution already, including equipping states with the needles and syringes that can help administer the Covid-19 vaccine or risk shortages. They also believe that the US must identify who will get the Covid-19 vaccine first and how.
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine presented a draft proposal for distributing a coronavirus vaccine in the US if and when one is approved.
The vaccine distribution will have four phases, with health-care workers and the vulnerable being the priority. Many medical experts believe that the vaccine must go to the most at-risk groups first, including health-care workers and the elderly as well as poor and minority communities.
