Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, says that there will be a “safe and effective” coronavirus vaccine in the U.S. by the end of 2020.
The infectious disease expert told NBC’s “Today”, “I believe that by the time we get to the end of this calendar year that we will feel comfortable that we do have a safe and effective vaccine.”
Fauci is confident that a vaccine is on the way and remains hopeful that is will be here soon.
He noted that, for several of the vaccine trials, there is “enough data that you would really feel comfortable it was safe and effective for the American people.”
Fauci also addressed coronavirus outbreaks at universities telling school officials not to send students home if they test positive for the virus.
“Keep them at the university in a place that’s sequestered enough from the other students”, Fauci said. “But don’t have them go home because they could be spreading it in their home state.”
With Labor Day weekend coming up, Fauci urged Americans to remain cautious saying, “The holiday will determine if the U.S. is able to get running start in battling disease this fall.”
There was a spike in cases after the Fourth of July and Memorial Day so it is advised to still wear a mask and follow social distancing recommendations.
“What I’d really like to see is a full-court press to get us way down as a baseline, so that when you get these cases in the fall, they won’t surge up,” Fauci said.
The doctor added that he would not be comfortable pushing out a vaccine that had been rushed through trials but the head of the FDA stated that he is willing to put a vaccine on the fast-track to be available as soon as possible.
Commissioner Stephen Hahn told the Financial Times that the FDA could authorize a vaccine before the end of Phase Three clinical trials “as long as officials believed the benefits outweighed the risks.”
“It is up to the sponsor [vaccine developer] to apply for authorization or approval, and we make an adjudication of their application,” Hahn said. “If they do that before the end of Phase Three, we may find that appropriate. We may find that inappropriate, we will make a determination.”
He added that the rush was not in any way linked to pressure from the Trump administration.
Hahn noted that the FDA could grant several emergency approvals for different groups “rather than a blanket approval.”
“Our emergency use authorization is not the same as a full approval,” Hahn explained. “The legal, medical, and scientific standard for that is that the benefit outweighs the risk in a public health emergency.”
