Mark Meadows orders approval of Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine 0:34
(CNN) -
White House Secretary General Mark Meadows told Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn that he should grant a use authorization for emergency for the Pfizer and BioNTech coronavirus vaccine by the end of Friday and that he would otherwise have to resign, an administration official and a source familiar with the situation told CNN.
Another person familiar with the matter, who also confirmed the demand that the vaccine be licensed before it is finished on Friday, said President Donald Trump has been venting about the FDA chief since the UK began get the vaccine earlier this week.
The two men spoke by phone on Friday morning.
A White House official said they do not comment on private conversations, but that the chief "regularly requests updates on progress toward a vaccine."
The FDA commissioner's reaction to the news
Hahn quickly refuted the description of the conversation, which was first reported by
The Washington Post
.
The news is likely to raise further questions about the extent to which the Trump administration's political interests are involved in the vaccine authorization process, and could undermine public confidence in the effort to obtain it.
FDA vaccine advisers voted Thursday to recommend that the agency grant authorization for the vaccine's emergency use, with an imminent authorization expected.
READ: Pfizer Vaccine: The Meaning Of An FDA Panel Recommending Emergency Use Authorization
“This is a false representation of the phone call with the White House secretary.
The FDA was encouraged to continue to work expeditiously on Pfizer-BioNTech's application (for an emergency use authorization), ”Hahn said in a statement Friday afternoon.
"The FDA is committed to issuing this authorization quickly, as we noted in our statement this morning," he added.
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What consequences could the report have?
A White House official familiar with the conversation between Meadows and Hahn said it is doubtful that the FDA commissioner will actually be fired.
The secretary-general's blunt warning to resign if Pfizer's emergency use authorization is not granted earlier on Friday was a bigger sign of the president's frustration, this person said.
Public Health experts have long feared that White House officials would exert undue pressure on the authorization process and, in turn, compromise public confidence in the vaccine, a source close to the task force on the vaccine told CNN. White House coronavirus.
Confidence, a challenge for the covid-19 vaccine 2:39
This source said that it is unclear why Meadows would make such a threat when the process is so advanced and that authorization of the vaccine is expected at any time.
The person added that the authorization could arrive at the end of Friday.
Dr Moncef Slaoui, head of the US government's work to develop a COVID-19 vaccine, told CNN's Jake Tapper on "The Lead" on Friday that he was concerned about the potential effect of the reports that could undermine confidence in the safety of the vaccine.
"Yes, I think there is an opportunity for people to see undue pressure if the story is correct," he said, while defending the FDA clearance process.
He described it as "an effective, transparent, thorough and in-depth review."
Trump Criticizes the FDA;
Biden asks for confidence in the vaccine
Trump has grown impatient with the authorization process in recent weeks.
A person familiar with the president's ideas told CNN that Trump wants to get as many vaccines as possible before leaving office.
On Friday he called the FDA "a big, old, slow turtle."
"Get the fucking shots out NOW, Dr. Hahn @SteveFDA," Trump tweeted.
"Stop playing games and start saving lives !!!"
President-elect Joe Biden, speaking Friday afternoon at an event announcing others elected to top positions in his administration, did not address the news of Meadows' demand of Hahn.
However, he urged the public to have faith in the vaccine and expressed his gratitude "to the scientists and public experts who evaluated its safety and efficiency, free from political influence".
"I want to make it clear to the public that they should have confidence in this, there is no political influence," Biden said.
“These are top-notch scientists who take the time to analyze all the elements that need to be analyzed.
Scientific integrity brought us to this point, "he added.
CNN's Caroline Kelly contributed to this report.
Donald TrumpFDACoronavirus Vaccine