San Rob Portman on CNBC on Tuesday. Said he is participating in a clinical trial of Johnson and Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccine, hoping to unravel the importance of the vaccine in ending the epidemic.
“The most important thing we can do right now is get these vaccines on and off the market, and we’re sure people will actually be vaccinated,” the Ohio Republican said on Squawk Box. Masks need to be worn and social distance maintained as US coronavirus case ike spikes to record. He wore a mask during an interview on Capitol Hill.
“It’s one thing to have vaccines, which I think will be ready by the end of this year, so really just in two and a half months, but we’re sure people are ready to be vaccinated,” Portman added. “That’s why I took part in this trial because I think vaccines are so important.”
Portman said he had registered for trial 12 days before the news of positive effectiveness from Pfizer and German partner Bioentech last week and Monday’s announcement from Modern. Data from late-stage tests of both Pfizer and Moder suggest that the vaccine was more than 90% effective in preventing Covid-19.
The senator expressed concern about public opinion polls showing that a significant number of Americans were skeptical of the coronavirus vaccine and therefore would be reluctant to receive it if the Food and Drug Administration should clear vaccine candidates for public distribution.
“These are FDA professionals. These are scientists taking extraordinary steps to ensure that they are safe,” Portman said. “So, I want to encourage everyone to take part in the trial, if you are comfortable doing it, but definitely to get it when you get the vaccine.”
Portman said he feels “great” so far after being registered in the trial, although he noted that he was not sure if he had received the vaccine or the placebo. The main feature of double-blind clinical trials is that participants remain unaware of which group they belong to, so they do not change their behavior.
“I keep a diary. Every Monday and Thursday I now report whether I have symptoms. It’s easier to go through, and again, I encourage people to do it because the more people take part in the trial, the sooner They can. Go to the FDA for authorization of emergency use and we can get it to the American people faster, “he added.
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