Trump delays transition to Biden’s virus advisers
WASHINGTON — Joe Biden’s scientific advisers will meet with vaccine makers in coming days as the presidential transition remains stalled because of President Trump’s refusal to acknowledge that he lost the election.
The delayed handoff is especially problematic during a public health crisis, the government’s top infectious disease expert said Sunday.
“Of course it would be better if we could start working with them,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases who has been through multiple presidential transitions during 36 years of government service.
Fauci likened the process to runners passing a baton in a relay race. “You don’t want to stop and then give it to somebody,” he said. “You want to just essentially keep going.”
The presidentelect’s outreach to the vaccine manufacturers comes as the coronavirus pandemic in the United States has entered perhaps its most dangerous phase. The sevenday rolling average for new daily cases stood at 145,400 on Saturday, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
“We’re going to start those consultations this week,” said Biden’s chief of staff, Ron Klain, citing Pfizer and other pharmaceutical companies.
Pfizer’s announcement that preliminary data indicate its vaccine is 90% effective lifted financial markets last week and gave people worldwide hope that an end to the pandemic will be coming.
Klain said Biden’s experts also need a detailed understanding of distribution plans being finalized by the Department of Health and Human Services and the Pentagon. In some ways, that’s the more critical issue, he said.
“We need to be talking to them as quickly as possible,” Klain said. “It’s great to have a vaccine, but vaccines don’t save lives: vaccinations save lives. And that means you’ve got to get that vaccine into people’s arms all over this country. It’s a giant logistical project.”
Fauci stressed the arrival of vaccines won’t be like flipping a switch to return to normal life. The first doses will become available for people in highrisk groups later this year. He said Americans will have to keep up preventive measures such as wearing masks, observing social distancing and frequently washing their hands well into next year.
“Everyone is sensitive to what we call ‘ COVID fatigue,’” Fauci said. “People are worn out about this. But we have got to hang in there a bit longer. … We have got to hang together on this.”
Adm. Brett Giroir, assistant HHS secretary, when pressed on whether the administration should be talking to the Biden team, Giroir responded: “Look, I want to be as transparent as possible with everybody. This is not a political issue. This is an issue of public health and saving American lives. And I think there’s nothing more important than that.”
Fauci appeared Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Klain appeared on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” and Giroir spoke on ABC’s “This Week.”