ROBERTOPERATION "WARP SPEED"
SEEKS TO DELIVER 300-(M)ILLION
DOSES OF A COVID-19 VACCINE BY
JANUARY.MULTIPLE COMPANIES
SIGNED DEALS WITH THE U-S
GOVERNMENT- IN ANTICIPATION OF
ROLLING OUT A SAFE AND
EFFECTIVE WAY TO STOP THE
CORONAVIRUS.ONE WOMAN WHO
SIGNED UP FOR A VACCINE TRIAL
IN AUSTIN- REACHED OUT TO KXAN.
SHE TELLS US SHE JUST LEARNED
A LAB WANTS TO GIVE HER THE
FIRST DOSE SOONER.AND THAT GOT
THE ATTENTION OF A LOCAL
CONGRESSMAN.
ABBY STRITE WILL CORONAVIRUS
VACCINE.ABBY STRITE/VACCINE
TRIAL PARTICIPANT "THEY TOLD
ME THAT// MY FIRST APPOINTEMNT
WOULD BE SEPT. 16TH... WHICH I
WOULD GET SCHEDULED FOR ONE
VACCINE THAT DAY..."BUT THIS
MONTH- SOMETHING CHANGED.
STRITE "I GOT A CALL FROM THE
CLINIC// ALL THE VACCINES HAD
TO BE MOVED UP BEFORE
SEPTEMBER ELEVENTH..."THAT GOT
HER THINKING.STRITE IT MADE ME
WORRY THAT WE ARE RUSHING THE
TRIALS// IN ORDER TO RUSH THE
RESULTS, FOR POLITICAL
PURPOSES. AND THA'S WHY I
CONTACTED 'ALL.SHE ALSO GOT
THE ATTENTION OF LOCAL
DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSMAN LLOYD
DOGGETT.H'S THE CHAIR OF THE
HOUSE HEALTH SUBCOMMITTEE.REP.
DOGGETT " I WANT TO BE SURE
THAT WE GO ONLY AS FAST AS THE
SCIENTISTS TELL US IS
APPROPRIATE."DR. LAURENCE CHU,
BENCHMARK RESEARCH"WE CANNOT
ABBREVIATE THE INFORMATION WE
NEED TO COLLECT."WE TOOK THEIR
CONCERNS TO BENCHMARK
RESEARCH- A GROUP RUNNING
VACCINE TRIALS IN AUSTIN. THEY
EXPLAINED EVEN IF A LAB MOVED
UP A VACCINATION- NO MATTER
WHAT- THEY CA'T RUSH A WHOLE
TRIAL.DR. LAURENCE CHU,
BENCHMARK RESEARCH "WE STILL
HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE
INDIVIDUAL STEPS SAFETY AND
THE QUALITY OF THE DATA, SO
THEY HAVE SOMETHING
THEY CAN WORK FROM."
CONGRESSMAN DOGGETT TOLD KXAN
HE WANTED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT
ABB'S COMPLAINT- FOR A
SIMPLE REASON.REP. DOGGETT "WE
HAVE A STAKE IN WHA'S GOING
ON HERE. BUT THE STAKE HAS TO
BE IN INSURING THIS IS A SAFE
AND EFFECTIVE VACCINE."
ROBERTCONGRESSMAN DOGGETT TOLD
US H'S TRIED TO GET THE
DETAILS ON CONTRACTS SIGNED BY
THE GOVERNMENT AND DRUG MAKERS.
BUT SO FAR- NO LUCK. BENCHMARK
RESEARCH ALSO EXPLAINED ONE OF
THE REASONS COMPANIES ARE ABLE
TO START PHASE THREE EARLIER
PHASES HAVE SHOWN THE VACCINES
SEEM VERY
SAFE.BUT DOCTOR CHU REMINDED
US THE VACCINE IS MOST
EFFECTIVE IF EVERYONE GETS
VACCINATED.OTHERWISE THE VIRUS
STILL SPREADS.BUT- A RECENT
POLL FOUND THE PUBLIC IS
SKEPTICAL.78-PERCENT OF
AMERICANS FEAR THE PROCESS IS
BEING DRIVEN MORE BY POLITICS
THAN
SCIENCE.THE FOOD AND DRUG
ADMINISTRATION SAID IT WAS
POSSIBLE IT COULD AUTHORIZE
EMERGENCY USE OF A COVID-19
VACCINE BEFORE PHASE THREE
TRIALS ARE OVER.THE FINANCIAL
TIMES INTERVIEWED COMMISSIONER
DOCTOR STEPHEN HAHN.HE SAID IF
A VACCINE DEVELOPER APPLIES
FOR APPROVAL BEFORE THE END OF
PHASE THREE, THE F-D-A COULD
AUTHORIZE IT- IF THE BENEFIT
OUTWEIGHS THE
RISK.HE ALSO SAID THE VACCINE
DECISION WOULD BE BASED ON
DATA-- NOT POLITICS.
