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Law360 (October 20, 2020, 3:24 PM EDT) -- Three unions representing 2 million health care workers said it's "impossible for us to take or promote" a COVID-19 vaccine that hasn't been vetted by "independent experts" Tuesday as the president's foes continue to question whether a Trump administration-approved drug can be trusted.
The Service Employees International Union; the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees; and the American Federation of Teachers said reports of political interference in Centers for Disease Control and Prevention scientific reports and President Donald Trump's insistence that a vaccine will be available before Election Day have undermined their faith in an approved vaccine.
"Given this record of politicization of public health, it is impossible for us to take or promote any vaccine without additional assurance from independent experts that the approval process has not been tainted," the unions said. The statement reflects the unions' perspective rather than a pledge by members not to take vaccines, an SEIU representative said Tuesday.
As the novel coronavirus continues to infect tens of thousands of Americans a day, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine have recommended health care workers on the front lines of the pandemic be among the first to receive vaccines. But that may not be the prudent course for workers amid the "evident politicization of this process," the unions said Tuesday.
The statement cites "a steady drum" of media reports that political staffers at the CDC have influenced agency guidance to sound a more positive note on the coronavirus pandemic. The unions note government health care officials have downplayed the likelihood that a vaccine will be widely available to the public this year even as the president suggests one could be distributed this fall. They also cast doubt on a pledge by pharmaceutical manufacturers to rigorously vet vaccine candidates while they're "competing for billions of dollars in government contracts."
Only if independent experts confirm the safety of a vaccine will the unions "work with federal, state and local bodies and with the leadership of the health care community and the communities we serve and live in to accurately educate the public and promote a fair and effective vaccination program," they said in Tuesday's statement.
The statement's release comes five days after Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said in a televised town hall that he would only take a vaccine this year if it has been approved by scientists. Running mate Kamala Harris earlier said she would not take a Trump-touted vaccine absent approval by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci and other experts.
The executive council for the AFT, one of the signatories to the letter, previously approved a resolution demanding "a rigorous vaccine approval process" by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
--Editing by Stephen Berg.
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