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Monday’s news that a COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer will be ready for Food and Drug Administration approval this month caused the stock markets to spike and everyone rejoiced. This is wonderful news for all of humanity.
A vaccine will slow deaths, end lockdowns, allow businesses to reopen, allow children to return to school and return to normal life within six months.
Surprisingly, one group doesn’t party: Democratic politicians. They would criticize the breakthrough sooner than allowing the triumph to occur under President Trump’s watch. Governor Cuomo in New York and Governor Gavin Newsom in California say FDA approval of the vaccine is not enough, and they will also insist on expert approval in their own states.
It is unconstitutional. Drug approval is a federal responsibility, and the courts have ruled that states should steer clear of it.
Cuomo went further on Monday, arguing that it would have been better for the vaccine to be delayed until Joe Biden becomes president. With more than 1,000 Americans dying every day from COVID-19, Cuomo’s political calculation makes no sense.
Pfizer and its German biotech partner, BioNTech, have announced that their vaccine appears to be 90% effective against the virus – a stunning achievement. The FDA’s minimum efficacy level is 50 percent, which is also standard for influenza vaccines. Pfizer’s vaccine will provide much more protection. Once Pfizer gets its approval, it will sell 20 million doses per month to the United States government, supply the European Union and Japan as well, and ultimately produce over 1.3 billion doses.
More good news. Another vaccine developer, Moderna, using technology similar to Pfizer’s, will announce its data later this month. Moderna’s likely approval will mean that there will likely be enough vaccine production in 2021 to stop this virus globally.
It’s no wonder that stocks for airlines, cruise ships and restaurants have soared by double digits. A vaccine will allow people to travel, dine out, and resume life as they knew it before COVID-19. Thanks to science, the “new normal” will not become a permanent reality.
If only science could cure the cynicism of politicians. The big lie that drove the election was that Trump was to blame for 230,000 deaths. Biden assaulted Trump for opening up the economy and vowed to shut it down again. Biden has vowed to control the virus, but he never specified what he would do differently. It was Trump who had the vision to focus on vaccine development.
Biden and Harris have sworn they would not trust a vaccine proposed by Trump. These little comments have increased the risk that the public will hesitate to get vaccinated.
Ironically, as news of Pfizer’s vaccine broke, Biden announced his coronavirus task force and outlined his plans to step up testing, contact tracing and other defensive measures. Aside from wearing a mask, it was hard to see the light of day between what he recommended and what Trump had been doing for months. Biden barely mentioned the vaccine – the game changer that will end up making all of those other measures unnecessary.
Meanwhile, Cuomo criticized Team Trump’s vaccine distribution plan for neglecting groups in need and suggested New Yorkers wait for a vaccine until Biden takes office.
The truth is, Trump will distribute the vaccine free to the general public at retailers like CVS and Walmart. This is reasonable, because the public is used to going there to get their flu shot. But health workers, nursing home residents, the homeless and other vulnerable groups will also be given priority.
Cuomo, who has blood on his hands for forcing COVID-19 patients into nursing homes, now wants New Yorkers to wait months longer than residents of other states for a vaccine. Tell the elderly who have been trapped in their homes for months.
Whatever your policy, the vaccine breakthrough is a relief. Trump deserves to be recognized. He urged the pharmaceutical giants to invest in vaccine development, pledged to purchase the vaccines to eliminate the business risk, and streamlined FDA regulations to speed up the process without compromising safety.
A tired world should be grateful. Well done, Mr. President.
Betsy McCaughey is a former lieutenant governor of New York.
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