https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/americas-last-line-of-defense-for-a-safe-vaccine/ > When the Food and Drug Administration ran into White House resistance to its proposed vaccine safety standards in early October, the agency took a bold step: It published the guidance on its Web site. The public could now see what vaccine manufacturers and the FDA’s own independent advisory panel would require to ensure a longer, scientifically rigorous process. > The two public health agencies responsible for overseeing the approval, distribution and use of a coronavirus vaccine—the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention—have been undermined and politicized. The FDA’s proposed guidelines for emergency use of a coronavirus vaccine did finally clear the White House, but the well-publicized resistance has further undermined public trust in Operation Warp Speed just as the United States inches toward a viable vaccine. At a time when trust should be growing, the opposite is happening.