Did anyone notice the news last week that the Russians have developed a vaccine for Covid-19?
It was an announcement that seemed to have surprised the scientific community as well as people throughout the world.
Not that the two are connected, but did anyone notice the news in the past week or so that the Russians are, as in 2016, going all out to influence the 2020 Presidential election in President Trump’s favor? This has been confirmed by our intelligence agencies, who also reported that the Chinese are meddling, too, in favor of Joe Biden’s campaign.
Maybe the Presidential debates can focus on who is getting the most campaign help from these communist countries?
With about 75 days left before Election Day, and Biden ahead in most polls, the Trump re-election campaign is desperately seeking something to stop the bleeding. Typically, an incumbent who is losing will throw a Hail Mary pass in the last couple of months to reverse the campaign momentum.
In Political Science 101 it’s called an “October Surprise”.
At this point in the Covid-19 pandemic, which the Trump Administration has managed miserably, about the only thing that could save the President’s bacon would be the miraculous development of a Covid-19 vaccine to save American lives and, hopefully, get the economy back in gear.
Despite Trump’s vaunted “Operation Warp Speed”, which is trying to accomplish this very thing, the scientific community predicts that an effective and safe vaccine won’t be developed and ready for distribution until at least January 2021.
That is after the election.
Back to the Russians: Is it possible that Vladimir Putin, the guy who helped Donald Trump get elected in 2016, is attempting to contribute an October Surprise for his buddy with the surprise news of his country’s miracle Covid-19 vaccine?
Another stunt? How cynical of me.
Of course, I would be thrilled if the Russians or any country had solved the Covid-19 mystery. It would be one of the most important scientific accomplishments of the 21st century and would save millions of people worldwide, a Nobel Prize would be in order, and I would happily stand in line to get my innoculation.
However, the news of the miraculous development has been met with the sound of one hand clapping by the world epidemiology community. Why would this be so?
Probably because the Russian vaccine hasn’t been proven to be effective or safe.
Many of the most promising vaccines in development right now are in Stage 3 clinical trials, testing candidate vaccines on thousands of people to determine whether the medicine…is effective and safe, which is standard procedure. There’s nothing worse than a vaccine that doesn’t work or actually hurts people.
Russian President Putin, in his announcement, was careful to address this issue by noting that his own daughter has been inoculated with the vaccine.
Maybe in Russia you only need to test one person? Maybe she’s the volunteer? Maybe he doesn’t like his daughter? Who knows?
Based upon the reaction of the scientific community, it appears that the consensus opinion is that the Russian vaccine is not yet ready. Or could be a hoax. As Ronald Reagan used to say, about the Russians, “trust, but verify”.
President Trump has been absolutely silent about this potentially earth-shaking development, which is fishy; this is a guy who comments on everything. One would think he would congratulate his good friend, whom he is fond of publicly complimenting.
What gives here?
Is it possible he is waiting to see if the American people take the bait?
If the Russian vaccine is accepted by the public without being subjected to months of clinical trials, then potentially President Trump’s new medical advisor, Dr. Atlas, can recommend to him that he fast forward our candidate vaccines and declare victory over Covid-19…prior to the election.
Just sayin’.