WASHINGTON (AP) — Joe Biden’s scientific advisers will meet with vaccine
makers in coming days as the presidential transition remains stalled
because of President Donald Trump’s refusal to acknowledge that he lost
the election. That delayed handoff is especially problematic during a
public health crisis, the government’s top infectious disease expert said.

“Of course it would be better if we could start working with them,” said
Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and
Infectious Diseases who has been through multiple presidential
transitions during 36 years of government service. He likened the
process to runners passing on the baton in a relay race. “You don’t want
to stop and then give it to somebody,” he said. “You want to just
essentially keep going.”

The president-elect’s outreach to the vaccine manufacturers comes as the
coronavirus pandemic in the United States has entered perhaps its most
dangerous phase. The seven-day rolling average for new daily cases stood
at 145,400 on Saturday, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
That means the U.S. is adding about 1 million new cases a week, and
deaths averaged 820 a day as of Saturday, a 33% increase in just two weeks.

“We’re going to start those consultations this week,” said Biden’s chief
of staff, Ron Klain, citing Pfizer and other pharmaceutical companies.
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*Lock Trump Up!*