Politics may compromise on safety of coronavirus vaccine, fear scientists

Operation Warp Speed has moved along at a rapid clip. But some professionals involved in the making of the drug caution on pressure to deliver an October surprise for US President Donald Trump

In April, with hospitals overwhelmed and much of the US in lockdown, the Department of Health and Human Services produced a presentation for the White House arguing that rapid development of a coronavirus vaccine was the best hope to control the pandemic. 

“DEADLINE: Enable broad access to the public by October 2020,” the first slide read, with the date in bold.

Given that it typically takes years to develop a vaccine, the timetable for the initiative, called Operation Warp Speed, was incredibly ambitious. With tens of thousands dying and tens of millions out of work, the crisis demanded an all-out public-private response,