As debates rage on about the timing of the upcoming coronavirus vaccine, we’d like to give credit to the nation’s top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, for his consistency about the arrival date of the COVID-19 vaccine even after a lot of political pressures. Back in June, we told you about Dr.Fauci told a House committee that a COVID-19 vaccine is still on track to be available by the end of the year or by early 2021.
With all the political turmoils surrounding the release date of the vaccine, Dr. Fauci maintained early this month that the vaccine may still be ready by the end of the year. Dr. Fauci, however, cautioned that it is unlikely a COVID-19 vaccine will be ready by the end of October, but that it is not impossible.
When asked about the possibility of an earlier release during an interview on CNN, Dr. Fauci said: “I think most of the people feel it’s going to be November, December.” Dr. Fauci said a clinical trial could prompt drug developers to decide a vaccine works sooner. “It is conceivable that you can have it by October, though I don’t think that that’s likely,” he added.
Now, Dr. Fauci is doubling down on his earlier statements. In an interview with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute panel, according to CNN, the director of NIH said he expects to see a COVID-19 vaccine being proven safe and effective by November or December.
“I would still put my money on November/December,” Fauci said Wednesday at a Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute panel, according to CNN.
Previously, Dr. Faucis has said that researchers test vaccines by giving the shots to some and a placebo to others, then waiting to see if those who got the actual vaccine develop fewer cases or less-severe symptoms. He said that to tell if a vaccine candidate is effective, researchers need to see about 150 coronavirus infections occur.
