U.S. chief infectious disease specialist expects COVID-19 vaccine to be ready as early as 2020

The chief infectious disease expert in the United States assured that, trying to get the vaccine as soon as possible, the developers are not compromising safety, writes "Voice of America".

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Leading American expert on infectious diseases Dr. Anthony Fauci suggested that the country will achieve its goal and receive a vaccine against coronavirus by the end of the year.

However, he was not embarrassed by the prospect that China could develop the vaccine first.

“I have good expectations about the estimated time frame,” Fauchi said in an interview with Reuters, noting that there are no guarantees.

His comments were preceded by the promising preliminary data on Moderna’s vaccine, which is being developed by scientists at the National Institute for Allergic and Infectious Diseases, published on Tuesday, July 14th.

Many experts see in a safe and effective vaccine the only salvation from the virus, which has infected millions of people and killed more than 575 thousand people.

Fauci noted that the promise of Moderna’s vaccine is that it provides protection similar to that found in natural infections.

“When developing a vaccine, you hope in particular that it will cause a reaction comparable to a natural infection, because, theoretically, the best vaccine you can get is a natural infection,” he said.

The final clinical trial phase of the Moderna vaccine begins July 27th.

On the subject: It provokes a strong immune response: the American vaccine from COVID-19 encouraged scientists

President Donald Trump and some of his Republican allies criticized Fauci for cautioning against opening the US economy too quickly.

Asked how he deals with these attacks, Fauci told Reuters, "I try to prevent this from bothering me."

“Our work with vaccines, the development of therapeutic methods, clinical trials - this is what is important,” he added.

Fauchi was not confused by the prospect that China, which is also working on a vaccine, would cross the finish line first. He said he hoped for China to succeed, but suggested that they would not be victorious in the race for the vaccine, or at least won by a wide margin.

“I think everyone is going along the same path,” he said. “If they get to the end, then not much faster than us.” That's for sure. ”

He hoped that in the end, several candidate vaccines would be successful.

“I’m not worried that someone will get there first,” he stressed.

Fauci noted that even if the vaccine does indeed elicit an immune response, it is unclear how long this protection will last.

“There are questions for which there are no answers yet, because only six months have passed since the start of the epidemic,” he said.

According to him, it may take a year to clarify the issue of the immune response.

On the subject: Why the coronavirus vaccine has been developed for so long: a scientific explanation

A recent Reuters poll found that a quarter of Americans question the feasibility of vaccination. They fear that a record pace of vaccine development may be achieved due to its safety.

Fauci said he is aware of such concerns.

“They can be understood, but they are not justified,” he said. “We are not sacrificing security, we are not sacrificing scientific justification.”

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