(The following contains excerpts from the article “Biden’s COVID-19 Challenge: How will he get the U.S. pandemic response back on track?” TIME, November 23, 2020).
President-elect Biden has a two-pronged challenge: confronting a still mysterious virus that shows no signs of waning, and convincing the American public that parts of the pandemic response that began under the Trump Administration–particularly vaccine development–remain untrained by political influence.
Biden and Harris announced the creation of their COVID-19 Advisory Board. As president, Biden can appoint new heads of the government’s major health agencies. Public health experts have been critical of the lack of strong scientific guidance from the FDA and CDC over the past year, and the extent to which they appear to be influenced by the White House. Changing the leadership would be a signal that the Biden Administration will prioritize science and help to restore the public’s confidence in its pandemic response. However, this could backfire.
Manyu, despite pressure from the Trump Administration, managed to stand their ground and not allow political pressure to compromise their scientific principles (Dr. Fauci is an example). If Biden does choose to replace any of the leaders in the federal government’s health agencies, it could signal to the public that government-employed scientists and the research and policies they oversee, are trained any politics and otherwise cannot be trusted. This could carry over to any public-health advice having to do with getting the vaccine. Much damage has occurred that has led many to worry (both Republicans and Democrats) that politics has driven COVID-19 vaccine development.
So … the main concern for Biden will be reversing the damage done by Trump’s assaults on science. An October 2020 Gallup poll reported that only half of respondents said they would get vaccinated if a free FDA-approved vaccine were available immediately. This is a nightmare scenario.
By all accounts, the FDA, which will ultimately decide whether to authorize the handful of vaccine candidates currently in trials, has prevailed in deflecting the Trump Administration’s attempts to shortcut the review process. A Biden Campaign Advisor has stated that Biden’s goal is to ensure the safety and efficacy of the vaccine and ensure that there is no politicization of that process. But this advisor stood by comments such as the one that Kamala Harris made during the debate, when she said she would. not take a vaccine recommended by Trump. This isn’t good. People will remember that and could trust, or not trust, accordingly.
So … because the Trump Administration didn’t prioritize a national pandemic strategy–including mandating mask wearing in public or prohibiting mass gatherings–state health officials are left to figure out not only what policies to support but how to communicate them to a confused public. This has been the problem since Trump abdicated last Spring and left everything to the States. So here we are …..
The 50 states have been going in 50 different directions. To continue doing what is occurring now will only prolong the pandemic unnecessarily and cause more suffering.
People all over the country are making comments like “I won’t get the Trump Vaccine.” But it shouldn’t be the Biden Vaccine either. It will be the COVID vaccine. It’s not a political vaccine.
Hopefully Biden will give scientists back their voice on the pandemic stage. People widely trust scientists and public health groups … even in spite of the beating they have taken. Researchers asked more than 21,000 U.S. adults which people or institutions they trust to handle COVID-19 and the top answers were doctors and hospitals; scientists and researchers; the CDC; and Fauci. Full transparency, explaining why they are recommending certain policies and advice, should be covered in several briefings each week BY SCIENTIFIC EXPERTS to alleviate the anxiety. Public health messages should flood social media.
Optics mean so much. Perhaps having Biden and Harris get their vaccines in public view would demonstrate both their trust in the scientific process and a belief in the vaccine. What an example that could give people the confidence to get the vaccine themselves.
In their plan, Biden and Harris promise to listen to science and restore trust, transparency, common purpose and accountability to our government. But the plan doesn’t go into enough depth about how this trust will be won. After months of misinformation and partisan interference in public health, communication may be Biden’s biggest challenge.
The stakes are high. It is important that they keep their promises if we have any hope of containing a virus that doesn’t respect national borders or political parties.
Stay Tuned …..
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