Top vaccine doctor says Trump fired him for flagging wrong drug focus
Dr. Rick Bright, the former head of the federal agency helping develop a vaccine for the coronavirus was fired by US President Donald Trump after he resisted the widespread adoption of a drug promoted by Trump as a cure for COVID-19.
Rick Bright, the former head of the federal agency helping develop a vaccine for the coronavirus, was fired by US President Donald Trump after he resisted the widespread adoption of a drug promoted by Trump as a cure for COVID-19.
Dr. Bright said he advocated the safe and scientifically vetted solutions and that billions of dollars should be invested in them rather than on “drugs, vaccines, and other technologies that lack scientific merit.”
“I am speaking out because to combat this deadly virus, science — not politics or cronyism — has to lead the way,” Bright told The New York Times.
Dr. Bright used to head the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) and said rushing for vaccines and unproven drugs can be disastrous.
“Science, in service to the health and safety of the American people, must always trump politics,” said Bright.
With more than 8,30,700 COVID positive cases, the US has been declared the epicenter of the pandemic. And so, Bright and his lawyers have filed a case and called for an investigation into his firing at this crucial point.
“Sidelining me in the middle of this pandemic and placing politics and cronyism ahead of science puts lives at risk and stunts national efforts to safely and effectively address this urgent public health crisis,” Dr. Bright told CNBC.
Related news: Use of hydroxychloroquine shows no benefit for treating COVID-19 patients: Report
According to Health and Human Services Department (HHS), which oversees BARDA, Dr. Bright was given a job with fewer responsibilities at the National Institutes of Health.
Besides the formal complaint, Dr. Bright said he will ask HHS’ inspector-general, an internal ethics watchdog, to investigate the manner in which this administration has politicized the work of BARDA.
“They have pressured me and other conscientious scientists to fund companies with political connections and efforts that lack scientific merit,” he added.
Calling Dr. Bright’s removal as director of BARDA a ‘retaliation plain and simple’, his attorneys Debra Katz and Lisa Banks said,” The Administration’s refusal to listen to the experts and to sideline those like Dr. Bright who point out any errors in the government’s response will continue to be catastrophic for the American people.”
They further requested a stay on Dr. Bright’s termination order and requested permission for him to rejoin his duty until investigations are concluded.
Dr. Bright had limited the use of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, promoted by the US administration saying its effectiveness clearly lacks scientific merit.
However, Trump had suggested that these could be effective in treating COVID.
Related news: Hydroxychloroquine consignment from India arrives in US
Contrary to Trump’s declaration, an analysis on Tuesday proved that there were no benefits of using the drugs to treat coronavirus.
“I insisted that these drugs be povided only to hospitalised patients with confirmed COVID-19 under the supervision of a physician and they may have potentially serious risks associated with them,” Dr. Bright added.
