Dr. Anthony Fauci not “particularly concerned” about the safety of the modern coronavirus vaccine

Dr. Anthony Fauci, a White House adviser on coronavirus, said Monday that he “is not particularly concerned” about the safety risk of a possible coronavirus vaccine by Moderna, even though it uses new technologies to combat the virus.

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Dr. Anthony Fauci (R), director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, participates in the daily briefing of the coronavirus task force at the White House on April 22, 2020 in Washington, DC.

The vaccine, which entered a major human phase three test Monday, uses ribonucleuc Messenger acid or mRNA molecules to provoke an immune response to fight the virus. Scientists hope that mRNA, which carries genetic instructions from DNA, can be used to train the immune system to recognize and destroy Covid-19. While the first studies are promising, mRNA technology has never been used to make a successful vaccine before.

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“It is a novel technology. We are certainly aware of the fact that there is not as much experience with this type of platform as with other standards,” Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told reporters. conference call with Dr. Francis Collins, Director of the National Institute of Health “I am not particularly concerned. But I do not want a severe lack of concern to get in the way of keeping an open mind to look for possible harmful effects as we we move on to phase three of the trial. “

Scientists may know if a possible Moderna coronavirus vaccine works as early as October, but it will likely have the full results by November, Fauci said.

Moderna, which is working in collaboration with the NIH, announced earlier in the day that its vaccine trial began in the final stage. The test will enroll at least 30,000 participants at 87 locations, according to ClinicalTrials.gov. Participants in the experimental arm will receive a 100 microgram dose of the potential vaccine on the first day and another 29 days thereafter. Some patients will also receive a placebo.

Moderna’s experimental vaccine contains genetic material called messenger RNA or mRNA. If approved by the Food and Drug Administration, it would be the first of its kind.

This is a developing story. Please check for updates.

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