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Two of the lawmakers tasked with grilling pharmaceutical executives on the development of Covid-19 vaccines also own stock in one or more of the companies, creating potential conflicts of interest as drug manufacturers race toward lucrative scientific breakthroughs. Reps. Joe Kennedy and Michael Burgess are members of the House subcommittee that will question officials from Pfizer, Merck, Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca, and Moderna on Tuesday. Each member holds shares in at least one of the companies. Kennedy, a Massachusetts Democrat, owns as much as $1.7 million of stock in three of them, according to his most recent financial disclosure. (Garde, 7/20)

Pharmaceutical companies racing to develop coronavirus treatments and vaccines have upped their lobbying presence in the past three months, as drug companies work to combat the pandemic and fend off many lawmakers’ longstanding quest to lower drug prices via regulation. Takeda, which is working to produce a plasma treatment for Covid-19, more than doubled its lobbying expenditure in the second quarter of 2020 compared to the same period a year ago: From $570,000 to $1.33 million. (Facher, 7/20)

At a time when some Americans are concerned about the safety of a COVID-19 vaccine, tens of thousands have already volunteered to help bring oneinto existence. As of Monday , more than 138,600 people had signed up to take part in testing. “That’s why we’re optimistic that we’re going to be able to get the trials enrolled in an expeditious way. I think we can do what we need to do,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. (Weise, 7/20)

Almost daily, President Trump and leaders worldwide say they are racing to develop a coronavirus vaccine, in perhaps the most urgent mission in the history of medical science. But the repeated assurances of near-miraculous speed are exacerbating a problem that has largely been overlooked and one that public health experts say must be addressed now: persuading people to actually get the shot. A growing number of polls find so many people saying they would not get a coronavirus vaccine that its potential to shut down the pandemic could be in jeopardy. (Hoffman, 7/18)