Former director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Tom Frieden, stressed the importance of trusting in the vaccination process on Sunday.
Experts first have to see if the vaccines work, and there is encouraging news that some might, Frieden said. So it is necessary to make sure that vaccines are safe.
Third, “we have to make sure we put them in people’s arms and that means ensuring that there is trust,” he said.
He said two crucial things to look out for are the US Food and Drug Administration and the CDC Public Advisory Committee, both describing as transparent and open to the public.
The FDA determines the approval of the vaccine, and the CDC approves who should receive it and when, Frieden explained.
“There are no secrets here, it is very important that we maintain, win, increase confidence in this whole process, or people will get confused, worried and will not take the vaccine,” he said.
When it comes to a timeline for vaccine availability, Frieden said there may be signs that the vaccine is protective sometime in the fall, and that there may be announcements from companies that can do large amounts, “but between knowing that it is safe and effective and available, that will be sometime next year, in all likelihood, if we’re lucky. “
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