Pre-Election Vaccine Hopes Dim as Regulators Assert Power (1)

Top officials in charge of making sure that a safe and effective Covid-19 vaccine is swiftly delivered to the American people waved caution flags on Tuesday, all but assuring that a shot won’t be widely available by Election Day.

The Food and Drug Administration has been working for months to hammer out clear standards for vaccines seeking to be fast-tracked to market. The process has placed the agency at odds with the White House, which has wanted to get a shot approved by the time Americans head to the polls on Nov. 3.

On Tuesday, the FDA said it would ...