Dr. Fauci is targeting early 2021 for a safe COVID-19 vaccine.
Coronavirus advisor and National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director Dr. Anthony Fauci spoke to Congress today about the ongoing development of a COVID-19 vaccine. Recently, the FDA announced that they would be tightening the requirements for a potential vaccine’s approval in the interest of keeping people safe. This tightening may lead to a slight delay in the public availability of a vaccine as medical researchers conduct tests. While an exact timeframe is still murky, it is Dr. Fauci’s belief that thanks to the efforts of the various companies working on vaccines, including Moderna, Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson, one or more viable vaccines could be available by early 2021.
“A safe and effective vaccine for SARS-CoV-2 will be essential to stopping the spread of infection, reducing rates of morbidity and mortality, and preventing future outbreaks,” Fauci said.
In a previous Senate meeting held last week, Center for Disease Control director Dr. Robert Redfield said that the entire process of inoculating the American public against the coronavirus could take as long as six to nine months, with “normal” life resuming for the US by Q3 2021. He predicts a vaccine will be available by the end of 2020, but it will take considerable time and effort to mass produce it for the general populace, and that the early doses will likely be reserved for those with the highest risk of infection, such as the elderly and doctors.
Dr. Redfield stressed that the decision on who would receive the first doses would be “grounded in guidance from the country’s foremost experts on immunization science.”
Dr. Fauci and Dr. Redfield’s comments stand at odds with US President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly stated that a vaccine will be available by the end of October, and that enough doses will be available to vaccinate all US citizens by April. This has caused some concern among the medical community that the President will attempt to rush a vaccine without proper safety testing.
