COVID-19 vaccine divisive before government approval

Companies Pfizer and Moderna are in late stage trials for a COVID-19 vaccine which may be approved for use as early as October, leading to speculation that there may be political motives behind the announcement so close to the November presidential election. Unsplash.

Chapman University kicked off the fall semester remotely on Aug. 31 due to the continuation of the coronavirus pandemic, which has yet to yield a vaccine. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has notified the public, however, that a vaccine may be available to healthcare workers and high-risk individuals as early as late October or early November.

Vaccines developed by the companies Pfizer and Moderna are the furthest along in late-stage clinical trials. Stephen Hahn, the commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), stated that the FDA might approve, in an emergency situation, a COVID-19 vaccine before Phase 3 trials are complete. With the presidential election coming up in November, some suspect other motivations behind an early release of a vaccine. 

In particular, Chapman political science professor Mann Bunyanunda is skeptical a vaccine will even be released in the proposed time frame.

“It’s possible that this is just the red herring and that we won’t even be close to (finding a vaccine),” Bunyanunda said. “But, if this is truly a political ploy, then the statement is going to be worth way more (to the reelection of President Donald Trump) than the vaccine, because how many people could possibly get it between Nov. 1 and Nov. 3?”

Sophomore Joy Joukhadar, a sociology and English double major, is wary of a potential vaccine being approved before the election. She currently lives off campus and her father is immunocompromised.

“I feel like I’d have to take the vaccine due to my family’s medical standing, but I’d be really nervous taking it just because I don’t know if they’ve gone through all the trials properly,” Joukhadar said.

In accordance with Bunyanunda’s comments, Joukhadar expressed her dissatisfaction in the pandemic causing strained party lines.

“I’m very disappointed because I feel like the current (presidential) administration has turned a deadly once-a-century pandemic into a political issue, and they refuse to do the bare minimum just to appease their demographic,” she said. “The United States is one of the few countries in the world where basic science has essentially become another factor in political gain.” 

Yusuf Baqai, president of Chapman Democrats and a junior political science major, believes the pandemic should not be politically divisive.

 “Especially now, there’s a lot of distrust of the government,” Baqai said. “If anything goes wrong with the coronavirus vaccine, it’ll make people resent the government even more and cause further problems between the two parties.”

Distrust of medical treatment is a potential hurdle scientists and health communicators are being forced to navigate, with Gallup finding one in three Americans claim they would not take the vaccine if it was both approved by the FDA and administered free of charge. The Gallup report saw that party preference seemed to affect trust in the COVID-19 vaccine, as 53% of respondents with ties to the Republican party did not want to be vaccinated. 

Ultimately, a question faced by faculty and students at Chapman is whether they’d feel safe returning to campus before a viable vaccine is released.

Bunyanunda claimed that it was the right decision for the university to withdraw its hybrid learning plan, but is optimistic about a return to in-person instruction if local and state authorities deem it safe to do so.

“The reason why I say ‘yes’ is for the students,” Bunyanunda said. “If it’s safe to bring students back in at least a partial way, then I am on board so that students will be able to partake in (their) college experience.”