Want to know something that’s NOT helpful during a public health crisis unlike anything humanity has faced in at least a century?

When the head of a federal agency that is supposed to be politically independent and scientifically diligent stands next to Donald Trump and makes wildly misleading claims about a possible treatment for COVID-19.

That’s what Stephen Hahn — who heads the Food and Drug Administration — did over the weekend.

• Hahn was announcing that the FDA had just authorized a procedure whereby infected patients are given transfusions of blood plasma from people who have recovered from the coronavirus.

• Now, plasma transfusions may turn out — after repeated, peer-reviewed research — to have some potential as a treatment.

• But Hahn severely exaggerated the preliminary findings of one limited study that has not yet been reviewed by other scientists or even published.

• While Hahn later tried to walk back some of what he said, the horse was out of the barn.

• And this isn’t the first time Hahn has publicly made exaggerated and misleading claims for seemingly no reason other than it’s what Donald Trump wants to hear.

• In fact, the FDA broke with longstanding tradition and politicized its announcement with a headline including the phrase “Another Achievement in Administration’s Fight Against Pandemic.”

• As if Donald Trump and Jared Kushner have been holed up in a secret lab at the White House — clad in lab coats and surrounded by beakers, pipettes, and graduated cylinders — concocting cures for the coronavirus!

Hahn’s announcement on the eve of the Republican National Convention represents the most blatant politicization of decision making in the history of the FDA. He has seriously damaged the FDA’s credibility at the worst possible time — which does not bode well for future FDA decisions about COVID-19 vaccines and other therapies between now and Election Day.

Add your name:

Stephen Hahn must resign as FDA commissioner before he does more damage.

Thanks for taking action.

Stay safe.

- Robert Weissman, President of Public Citizen

P.S. Public Citizen — like many nonprofits and other small businesses — is feeling the financial strain of the coronavirus emergency. If you can, please consider donating to support the critical work we’re doing together. Thank you.
 
 
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