Dr. Ashish Jha, director of the Harvard Institute of Global Health, predicted that there is a probability that a coronavirus vaccine will be available in early 2021, but cautioned that it may not be 100 percent effective.
Jha told “Fox News Sunday” that he was encouraged by developments in vaccine creation in the US, Europe and China, but said that even if a vaccine is made available, it may not fully immunize people against COVID-19.
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“Vaccinations, I am very optimistic that we will have one in early 2021. The challenge here,” said Jha, “is that there are more than seven billion people in the world. And there will be a race to vaccinate.” we are all going to need billions of doses. “
He continued: “And I am very concerned about supply chains, having enough vials and syringes, and all of that.”
Jha said that due to high demand, it may be until next spring or summer before everyone in the United States can be vaccinated.
Jha was also encouraged by the number of potential vaccines under development, noting that there are currently more than a dozen in clinical trials. She said she hopes China will be the first to have one, possibly in the fall, but that it will likely end up with multiple working vaccines.
At the same time, Jha noted that a COVID-19 vaccine may not be the type of injection that prevents people from contracting the disease and that it will not last forever. She also said that this was not necessarily a problem.
“I hope we have a vaccine that at least prevents you from getting very sick from the virus,” he said. “So you can still get a mild illness but you won’t get very sick.” Also, it could be the type of vaccine where you need to be vaccinated each year. But it’s okay, I get a flu shot every year, if I have to get a COVID shot every year, that’s fine. “
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As for treatment for those who already have COVID-19, Jha was less optimistic that there will be a medication that people can easily take to alleviate symptoms. While there are certain medications that have been successful in patients who are very ill, they do not anticipate that there is a pill that people can take to improve.
“I would love to be wrong,” he said, “but the history of antiviral therapy is not glorious. We simply have not been able to find oral medications that work very well.”
Jha also addressed the increasing number of cases across the country. She blamed this in part on some states that reopened too soon and failed to follow federal guidelines for a gradual reopening process, as well as “mixed messages about masks and social distancing.”
The doctor said he was concerned about the scene of unmasked people who attended President Trump’s speech on Mt. Rushmore during the holiday weekend, where social distancing was not practiced.
“Those are just risky things,” Jha said of such meetings, adding that President Trump should “stick with science” for people to take precautions. He noted that “outdoors is better than indoors, so I was happy to see that.”
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Jha said the country is currently facing a “dangerous moment” and that some states must be “very aggressive” in fighting the spikes. She said that going back to “shelter-in-place” practices should be absolutely the last thing you want to do, “but said that if the virus is not under control it will be” very difficult to keep schools open. “
While the numbers of cases have increased, the death counts have not followed the same trends. Jha said this could be for various reasons.
Death statistics often lag behind case numbers because it takes time for people to get sick and die from the disease. At the same time, he noted that doctors are improving in treating people, so some patients may still be quite ill, but will ultimately survive. There have also been reports that many of the new cases are younger people, who generally don’t get as sick.
