White House overruled FDA to shorten testing period for Covid-19 vaccine

The White House blocked new Food and Drug Administration guidelines for the release of a coronavirus vaccine that would almost certainly have ensured the vaccine would not be approved before the presidential election on 3 November. The FDA planned to instruct that vaccine developers follow patients in trials for at least two months, to rule out safety issues before seeking emergency approval. A senior administration official confirmed the move to block the guidelines to the Associated Press on Monday evening, saying the White House believed there was “no clinical or medical reason” for the additional requirement