Safe and effective vaccine likely to be available widely by April 2021 says, Dr. Anthony Fauci

By Benson | Published: October 15, 2020 08:40 PM2020-10-15T20:40:31+5:302020-10-15T20:40:31+5:30

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A Covid-19 vaccine may be widely available by April 2021, Dr. Anthony Fauci said in an interview with CBS News Wednesday.

Fauci said researchers should know by “November or December” whether some vaccines trials have a safe candidate and that even in the event that a safe candidate is determined, initial quantities will likely only be a few million doses.

Pushing back against an assertion made by the President that the US can expect 100 million doses by year’s end, Fauci said that the 100 million number is only possible if every vaccine candidate currently in trials is determined to be safe and effective. Even in the event that every tested vaccine is determined to be safe, the timeline for widespread vaccine administration would be toward the end of the first quarter of 2021, Fauci said.

Fauci said that the recent pause in the Johnson & Johnson vaccine trial should be a “good indication” that vaccine trials are working as they are intended to and protecting people’s safety. The trial was paused this week because of a possible adverse reaction in a volunteer.

“When that happens, we jump all over that,” Fauci said.Fauci also discussed precautions needed as the United States heads into fall with increasing case numbers, telling people to “try and keep windows open” and “don’t be afraid to wear a mask in your house if you’re not certain that the persons in the house are negative.”

Coronavirus still poses a significant threat, but there are no vaccines proven to protect the body against the disease it causes - Covid-19.

However there are around 40 different coronavirus vaccines in clinical trials - including one being developed by the University of Oxford that is already in an advanced stage of testing.

The virus spreads easily, and the majority of the world's population is still vulnerable to it. A vaccine would provide some protection by training people's immune systems to fight the virus so they should not become sick.

Trials of the Oxford vaccine show it can trigger an immune response, and a deal has been signed with AstraZeneca to supply 100 million doses in the UK alone.

The first human trial data back in May indicated the first eight patients taking part in a US study all produced antibodies that could neutralise the virus.