Opinion: How to protect HHS, FDA, NIH, and other health agencies from political interference

In the fall of 2020, even as scientists raced to develop Covid-19 vaccines, Americans’ trust in these lifesaving shots plummeted. Many became more skeptical because of the behavior of U.S. leaders. Our recent study, published in the Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law, tracks how the Trump administration applied public pressure on the FDA during the 2020 election season, sparking a crisis of vaccine confidence.

On Aug. 23, 2020, for example, then-FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn stood beside President Trump to announce the emergency authorization of convalescent plasma for Covid-19 treatment — and wildly overstated the efficacy of the intervention. That marked the first time in FDA history that a president personally participated in announcing a treatment authorization.

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