After giving a press conference on Wednesday, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont (D) called out the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its many inconsistencies and hesitancy in approving the Wuhan coronavirus vaccine.
“It’s really time for the FDA to step up and make up their minds on these vaccines,” Lamont told reporters. “We’ve gone from Operation Warp Speed to Operation Slow Roll, and they still can’t decide whether to give the full authorization for these vaccines.”
Announced by former President Donald Trump in May 2020, Operation Warp Speed was the U.S. initiative to develop a vaccine by the end of last year. Both the operation and initial rollout of the vaccines under President Joe Biden were a success, but vaccination rates have fallen sharply this summer as the Delta variant spreads.
Lamont’s success in overseeing the administration of Wuhan coronavirus vaccines gives him some leeway in criticizing the medical bureaucrats in Washington. Under Lamont’s leadership on May 3, Connecticut became the first state to fully vaccinate 50 percent of its adult population. At the time of writing, 63.1 percent of all Connecticut residents are fully vaccinated, well above the 49.8 percent rate of Americans nationwide.
Lamont also said that the FDA’s inaction in approving the vaccine is discouraging many Americans from getting their shots, thus making the spread of the Delta variant worse.
“I think they’re discouraging some people from getting vaccinated,” Lamont said. “I think that creates a lot more risk and danger in our communities.”
Updated data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that the transmission of the virus is “moderate” in most of Connecticut. Minor outbreaks have occurred in the southeastern part of the state, as well as in the town of Hartland, Hartford County.
This is not the first time that Lamont has publicly broken the FDA. Back in April, Lamont criticized its decision (at the recommendation of the CDC) to pause the administration of Johnson & Johnson vaccines, saying that the signal sent by the agencies was “not helpful.”
Lamont’s emergency powers are due to expire on Sept. 30. As such, the governor told reporters that he would rather rely on voluntary measures than aggressive lockdowns or mask mandates at this stage of the pandemic.
“There’s a balance you have to reach,” Lamont said. “Rules only work if people generally think you’re going in the right direction, and 98 percent of them are self enforced.”
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