The COVID pandemic has helped make 2020 a national nightmare. In addition to deaths and illness caused by this virus, lockdowns have contributed to lost businesses, jobs, domestic violence, substance abuse, depression and financial strain. A safe and effective vaccine for this virus is likely our best hope to protect our citizens, open things back up, and start restoring things back to pre-COVID times.
I recently read Gov. Gavin Newsom has named a commission of 11 doctors and scientists to “independently review” any rollout of a vaccine by the federal government before “approving” distribution to California residents. Can we all agree politics should be put aside, and Democrats, Republicans and independents all should be anxious to see an FDA-approved vaccine for COVID-19 be available as quickly as possible? Any FDA-approved vaccine will have been tested for efficacy and safety on thousands of patients before approval, and even Dr. Anthony Fauci said any vaccine approved by the FDA should be trusted.
So now our governor wants to add another layer of bureaucracy by having a commission do a separate review of any vaccine approved by the FDA? If this commission disagrees with the FDA, is Newsom going to deny FDA-approved vaccines to Californians? Does a governor even have such authority? Are residents of other states going to receive vaccinations while Californians continue to get ill and even die while waiting for this commission to review an FDA-approved drug? This is nonsense! What Newsom should do is prepare our state to rapidly distribute FDA-approved vaccines to Californians and let us each decide the risks and benefits.
Rick Turski
Stevenson Ranch