The world this week: Sprint races

Accelerating vaccine distribution before the election

The US CDC has sent three planning documents to state health departments, including timelines for whenvaccinesThe documents will be used to develop early vaccination plans. The documents also outline scenarios where a vaccine could be ready for use by the end of October, or “fully operational by November 1.” The guidelines suggest the Trump administration is looking to rush the distribution of a vaccine just two days before the November 3 presidential election.

According to the New York Times, the vaccine will be prioritized for health care workers, national security officials and high-risk groups under different distribution scenarios of one or two vaccines in case of limited supply.

President Trump visits a vaccine development and testing center. Photo: Reuters

The FDA is being criticized for bowing to political pressure from President Trump.

Under normal procedures, vaccine regulators must wait months to verify that vaccine candidates are safe and effective. However, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has raised the possibility that a vaccine could be granted emergency authorization before clinical trials are completed. This has led to increasingly harsh criticism from the medical community that the FDA is bowing to political pressure fromPresident Trump.

“This means that mass vaccinations across the country could begin in 59 days. Is there any Covid-19 vaccine that can complete Phase 3 clinical trials for safety and efficacy and complete the full scientific evaluation in just 59 days?” - a US epidemiologist wrote on Twitter. According to this epidemiologist, no US vaccine candidate has completed Phase 3 registration. Therefore, rushing to complete it in 59 days is very dangerous.

Some public health experts point out that the CDC is setting an aggressive timetable, and that the final-stage vaccine trial is still recruiting volunteers and is only halfway through, so they don’t understand how there can be enough data on whether the vaccine is effective and safe by November 1.

“We absolutely do not condone or approve the emergency use of any Covid-19 vaccine without reliable data on efficacy and safety from phase 3 clinical trials.”

Dr. Angela Rasmussen, virologist, Columbia University

The US has spent billions of dollars to order leading vaccine candidates. Photo: Scitechdaily

FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn, however, denied that he was influenced by political pressure as the US presidential election neared. He said the criteria for authorization were “in the best interest of the public health at an urgent risk,” and that any vaccine approval was “a decision based on science, medicine, and data,” not a political decision. Eric Topol, a researcher at the Scripps Research Translational Institute, said: “Even if Stephen Hahn was influenced by Trump, the shortening would deal a serious blow to the already damaged public trust in vaccination.”

Race advantage

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga Yoshihide has officially expressed his intention to join the race for the leadership of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which is synonymous with the position of Prime Minister, as the LDP holds a majority in the Diet. This is considered an important move as Mr. Suga is emerging as the number one candidate for the prime minister's seat.

Suga's entry into the "race" stems from the party's fervent desire to build continuity in its policy line.Prime Minister AbeAs one of Abe's main "lieutenants," Suga will hold the campaign ticket and promise continuity and stability, said Sebastian Maslov, a senior lecturer in international relations at Sendai Shirayuri University. His candidacy means he has the support of most major factions, or influential members of the LDP, and even won the support of Toshihiro Nikai, the ruling party's secretary-general, who wields considerable influence and controls how the party allocates campaign funds.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga is Prime Minister Abe's right-hand man on the foreign affairs front. Photo: Reuters

For the past eight years, Suga, 71, a veteran LDP politician, has been the face of the Abe administration as its top spokesman, but he has remained relatively low-profile. He has only become more widely known since announcing the new era name “Reiwa” last year, the moment marking the enthronement of the new emperor. Since then, Suga has been nicknamed “Uncle Reiwa.”

Mr. Suga Yoshihide has played a key role in taming factional rivals within the ruling party.

Associates and analysts say Suga has played a key role in taming factional rivals within the ruling party. Suga is expected to continue his predecessor's policies, maintaining the "Abenomics" growth stimulus policies aimed at lifting Japan out of deflation and keeping the economy afloat.Covid-19 pandemicMr. Suga also affirmed his determination to build a trustworthy government that can protect people's livelihoods. Analysts say Mr. Suga can unite the LDP party before the general election scheduled to take place next year.

Suga's candidacy is seen as a major step forward in the race to succeed Prime Minister Abe. Abe previously refused to nominate a successor because he did not want to influence the selection process. Suga's difference is that he is not a member of, nor does he lead, any faction in the LDP.

Mr. Suga received a lot of support from the parties. Photo: WSJ

The LDP will hold a general assembly meeting next Tuesday to decide how the election will be conducted. A candidate must be endorsed by at least 20 Republican Party members to qualify, and the election will be held on September 15, with results announced on September 17. The person elected as LDP president is almost certain to become Japan's prime minister.