The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has sent letters to all 50 state governors urging them to lay the groundwork for a coronavirus vaccine to become available by November 1, days before the 2020 presidential election. Dr. Robert Redfield advocated fast-tracking applications to set up distribution centers by McKesson, which has a deal with the federal government to disburse the vaccine when it becomes available. He wrote, “CDC urgently requests your assistance in expediting applications for these distribution facilities, and, if necessary, asks that you consider waiving requirements that would prevent these facilities from becoming fully operational by Nov. 1, 2020.”

President Donald Trump has suggested there will be a vaccine available before the end of the year in multiple speeches. Responding to criticism that the Nov. 1 date reeked of political pressure, Dr. Stephen Hahn, leader of the Food and Drug Administration, tweeted, “We all recognize that the public will have confidence in our decisions only if they are supported by the science.”