FDA fast-tracks vaccines as California leads charge toward second lockdown

The Trump administration fast-tracked trial vaccines for the coronavirus Monday as states across the South and West buckled from the rapid spread of COVID-19, forcing California to close indoor dining, museums and theaters while Miami considers another lockdown.

The Food and Drug Administration said it will speed the review of two vaccine candidates from pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and partner company BioNTech. The fast-track status was granted based on preliminary data from phase one and two studies in the U.S. and Germany. The company expects to enroll 30,000 people in its next phase of trials.

If the trials are successful, the companies hope to make 100 million doses by the end of the year and possibly more than 1.2 billion doses by the end of 2021. The administration is investing in a range of vaccine approaches with the hope of landing a successful shot before the year ends.

In the meantime, a wide swath of America is reeling from the spread of the coronavirus, making it difficult to resume normal life and complicating efforts to reopen schools.

While President Trump continued to blame increased testing for the surge in cases, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, said the virus is spreading at such an alarming rate that he must close indoor activities at restaurants, wineries, theaters, zoos and museums. Bars were ordered to close completely.