Drugmakers will likely have tens of millions of doses of a coronavirus vaccine in the early part of next year, with production ramping up so that it hits a billion doses by the end of 2021, Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. government official on infectious diseases, said in a Reuters interview on Wednesday.
Fauci said he has not seen any pressure from the White House to announce a vaccine close to the Nov. 3 election in the hopes of boosting President Donald Trump’s re-election chances.
He added that regulators have promised “they are not going to let political considerations interfere” with the approval of a COVID-19 vaccine and that “safety and efficacy” will be primary considerations.
Fauci‘s interview with Reuters came on the same day Trump said in an interview with Fox News that the virus is “going away. It will go away like things go away.”
Get weekly health news
Fauci offered a more mixed assessment, saying some parts of the country had done well in containing the spread of the virus, while others were “on fire.”
- Childhood Cancer Canada calls for $15M from feds as demand rises
- ‘E-dirt bikes are not toys’: E.R. doc fears more injuries after 2 kids hit in Edmonton
- N.S. women’s health advocates question progress on promised menopause clinic
- More than 100 Saskatchewan pharmacies to offer strep throat, ear infection care
He characterized the varying responses to the virus as “disjointed” – owing to the size and the diversity of the nation.
Fauci said he hoped the pandemic would be under greater control by the end of the year, when he expects a vaccine to be available.
While Fauci stressed that there is a “middle ground” in which the country can prudently reopen, he said the politicization of mask-wearing was detrimental to the fight against the virus.
Comments
Want to discuss? Please read our Commenting Policy first.