Most of the federal contracts with companies involved in the crash program to make COVID-19 vaccines haven't been made public. The lack of disclosure raises questions about accountability.
The move by Eli Lilly came less than 24 hours after Johnson & Johnson paused further dosing in all of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate clinical trials while it investigated a volunteer's illness.
Members of Congress and advocacy groups say Operation Warp Speed should release its contracts with vaccine makers after NPR reporting found the terms of many aren't public.
Lawyers for Rick Bright wrote in the addendum to his May filing that "the work of scientists is ignored or denigrated to meet political goals and to advance President Trump's re-election aspirations."
More than $6 billion in federal funding has been routed through a firm that manages defense contracts, making the agreements subject to less federal scrutiny and transparency.
Volunteers getting the shot help determine if a candidate vaccine works. But what with social distancing and masks, scientists must discern if it's the shot or these other measures preventing illness.
A CDC advisory committee is debating this issue Tuesday. Half of U.S. adults could be considered high priority, yet the initial supply is likely to be only enough for 3% to 5% of the population.
The Army is working with private industry to create a coronavirus vaccine, but also working on its own. The military service has a history of creating vaccines and making medical breakthroughs.
Moderna is currently developing a promising, yet still unproven, vaccine against the coronavirus. But Moderna executives have already sold tens of millions of dollars worth of stock in the company.
The CDC's planning guidance for states includes multiple scenarios for the rollout of a vaccine this year, including possibly having a limited number of doses available in October and November.
New vaccines usually take years to get the approval of the Food and Drug Administration. But the Trump administration suggests the FDA may greenlight a coronavirus vaccine by the end of the year.
Dr. Paul Offit, who serves on the Food and Drug Administration's vaccine advisory board, says he doesn't think an effective vaccine that's undergone adequate testing can be ready this year.
Vaccine candidates are in advanced clinical trials, and WHO's director-general expresses hope they will be effective. But until then, he said, the world is reliant on "the basics" of disease control.
