Dr. Anthony Fauci said recently that he expects there to be a COVID-19 vaccine by the end of the year. In fact, he would put money on it.
- “I would still put my money on November/December,” Fauci said Wednesday during a Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute panel, CNN reports.
Fauci said researchers need to see about 150 coronavirus infections occur in test subjects before understanding if the vaccine is safe or not, the New York Post reports.
Waiting for those answers mean results could come at any time.
- “It really depends on where the sites are and how many infections there are in a site,” Fauci said. “So you could get your answer sooner, or you can get your answer a bit later.”
A look back
Questions about the availability of the COVID-19 vaccine have popped up in recent months. It’s unclear how many people will get the vaccine or if people will trust it, even if it’s approved by the government.
Fauci said in a recent interview with KHN that an independent board could be brought in to approve the vaccine.
- “The data is so good right now that you can say it’s safe and effective,” Fauci said.
- “If you are making a decision about the vaccine, you’d better be sure you have very good evidence that it is both safe and effective. I’m not concerned about political pressure.”