Pfizer, Moderna decline White House's 'Vaccine Summit' invitation
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Pfizer and Moderna have each asked for FDA approval for their shots, both of which are better than 90 per cent effective.
PHOTOS: REUTERS, AFP
WASHINGTON (REUTERS, BLOOMBERG) - Vaccine developers Pfizer Inc and Moderna Inc on Monday (Dec 7) rejected US President Donald Trump's invitation to attend a White House "Vaccine Summit".
The meeting, scheduled for Tuesday, comes ahead of the US Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) review of Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech's vaccine candidates.
It will be attended by Mr Trump, Vice-President Mike Pence and private-sector executives.
Industry officials familiar with the plans for the summit interpret it as an opportunity for the White House to pressure the FDA to quickly issue emergency use authorisations for the two vaccines candidates, Stat News reported last week.
Invitees at the meeting include drug distributors, pharmacies and logistics companies such as McKesson Corp, Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc, CVS Health Corp, United Parcel Service Inc and FedEx Corp.
Stat News earlier on Tuesday reported that Pfizer and Moderna would not be attending the summit, citing sources familiar with the event's planning.
President Trump will open the three-hour, indoor summit with remarks, followed by discussions of how the vaccines were developed and how they'll be regulated, distributed and administered.
He plans to sign an order for the Department of Health and Human Services to prioritise people in the US before helping other countries in need of the medicine.
The president has claimed personal credit for the rapid development of coronavirus vaccines, which were assisted by the Trump administration's "Operation Warp Speed" programme.
Pfizer and Moderna have each asked for FDA approval for their shots, both of which are better than 90 per cent effective, according to preliminary data from clinical trials.
Federal officials have said states will receive initial deliveries of the two vaccines within 24 hours of regulatory approval. Pfizer's vaccine may be approved as soon as next week, Mr Pence has said.
