Dr. Fauci says this is when we might know if our first coronavirus vaccine works

[Chris Smith]

• An answer about coronavirus vaccine safety and efficacy might be available as soon as November, Dr. Anthony Fauci said in a new interview.
• He made it clear that vaccines should not be approved for emergency use until they’re proven to be safe and effective.
• The comments follow several recent updates in the world of COVID-19 vaccine candidates. Russia approved a drug for public use without revealing any scientific data, and China has started using three vaccines under emergency programs. Separately, rumors said President Trump may pressure the FDA into giving emergency approval to at least one COVID-19 vaccine before the election.

Vaccine research for the novel coronavirus has advanced at a tremendous pace this year, with more than 170 experimental drugs already being tested to see whether they can prevent COVID-19. Of those, at least six are in the final stage of development, and another one has been approved for use in Russia even though no one knows if it actually works. Three of the six Phase 3 vaccine candidates were developed in China, and they’re all being used on volunteers outside of Phase 3 trials. These drugs have received emergency use authorization (EUA) in China, but unlike the Russian vaccine, there is scientific data to back up their efficacy. With Russia and China already using COVID-19 vaccines, and with the US presidential election looming, there has been increased chatter that President Trump might pressure the FDA into awarding an EUA to a vaccine in time for the election, even though Phase 3 trials won't be complete. As it stands right now, three vaccine candidates are in Phase 3 testing in the US and other Western countries, including drugs from Moderna, AstraZeneca/Oxford, and Pfizer/BioNTech.

The nation’s top infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci warned a few days ago that rushing the EUA for one vaccine might compromise the entire vaccination effort. Other officials have also opposed the idea that a vaccine should be granted EUA before Phase 3 is completed. Some expressed concern that the final data might not even be ready this year, but Fauci said in a new interview we might get our first answers by November.

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Dr. Fauci says this is when we might know if our first coronavirus vaccine works originally appeared on BGR.com on Mon, 31 Aug 2020 at 10:02:13 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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