COVID-19 vaccines will enter a late-stage trial in late July, says Fauci

(Reuters) – Candidates for the COVID-19 vaccine will enter advanced-stage clinical trials later this month, and others will begin in August, September and October, the U.S. government’s leading infectious disease expert said Thursday.

The news arrives as Moderna Inc , which is at the forefront of the country’s vaccine development efforts, reiterated earlier that day that it would begin a late-stage trial with 30,000 volunteers this month.

“We may at least know if we are dealing with a safe and effective vaccine in early winter, late winter (or early 2021),” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. . , he said in an interview with JAMA Network.

Earlier Thursday, Dr. Francis Collins, director of the US National Institutes of Health, said the Trump administration’s vaccine acceleration program could generate a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine by the end of the year. .

(Report from Manojna Maddipatla in Bangalore; Aditya Soni Edition)