Pre-election vaccination plans by CDC heighten fears of political meddling

Enlarge / WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 2, 2020: Dr. Robert Redfield,director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), removes his protective mask before speaking. (credit: Getty Images / Pool)

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is urging states to be ready to begin distributing a COVID-19 vaccine by November 1-an extremely ambitious plan that conspicuously falls just days before the presidential election.

Though public health experts say federal and state officials should certainly be planning for a vaccination rollout-and the daunting task of eventually vaccinating more than 300 million Americans against COVID-19 in a phased, equitable, orderly way-the pre-election deadline for the work heightens fears of political interference in the effort.

In recent weeks, critics and experts have been alarmed by policy changes and decisions at the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration that appear politically motivated. The CDC, which will help orchestrate vaccine distribution, recently reversed evidence-based testing guidelines, for instance. The move so alarmed and outraged experts that two high-profile scientists and former officials encouraged states to disregard the agency entirely and set their own evidence-based public health policies.

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