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It will be known before the end of the year whether or not there is a safe and effective vaccine against the coronavirus, the leading US infectious disease specialist said.
Dr. Anthony Fauci predicted that such knowledge could come in late November or early December, but warned that there would not be enough doses to vaccinate everyone before 2021.
His comments come amid reports that plans are being made for front-line NHS staff to receive a Covid-19 vaccine in a few weeks.
The Mail on Sunday said it had seen a staff memo sent earlier this month by Glen Burley, executive director of the George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust in Warwickshire, explaining that health services organizations had been told to “be prepared. to start a Covid-19 vaccine for staff. program in early December ”.
The newspaper reported that the memo added: “Latest intelligence states that a coronavirus vaccine should be available this year with prioritized NHS staff before Christmas.”
Mr Burley said that “the vaccine was expected to be given in two doses, 28 days apart,” the Mail on Sunday said.
Appearing on the BBC’s Andrew Marr program, Dr. Fauci was asked if claims by the President of the United States, Donald Trump, that a Covid-19 vaccine, while not a guarantee, will arrive before the end of year, they were true.
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Dr. Fauci responded: “We will know if a vaccine is safe and effective by the end of November, beginning of December.
“The question is, once you have a safe and effective vaccine, or more than one, how can you get it to the people who need it as quickly as possible?
“The number of doses that will be available in December will certainly not be enough to vaccinate everyone, it will have to wait several months until 2021.”
He said healthcare workers are likely to be prioritized first for any vaccine, as well as people considered to be at higher risk for complications.
Dr Fauci added: “That could start late this year, early January, February and March next year.
“When you talk about vaccinating a substantial proportion of the population, so that it can have a significant impact on the dynamics of the outbreak, it is very likely that it will not occur in the second or third trimester.”
Dr. Fauci expressed concern that “anti-science” sentiment could have an effect on vaccine acceptance.
He told the Andrew Marr Show: “One of the things that worries me in the United States is that some of the anti-science perhaps translates to anti-vaccine.”
He added: “It would really be a shame if we had a safe and effective vaccine, but a substantial proportion of people don’t want to get vaccinated because they don’t trust the authority.
“That would be really unfortunate if that’s the case.”
Dr. Fauci said a possible coronavirus vaccine, coupled with public health measures, could help move the United States toward “some form of normalcy” next year.
He said: “I think when we get a vaccine and we start vaccinating people … over a period of several months until 2021, we will start to get closer to some form of normality, depending on how many people, what proportion of the people, take the vaccine.
“That should be combined with some degree of public health measures.
“I don’t think a vaccine alone will immediately bring us back to normal.
“What I do foresee is that with a successful vaccine and the continuation of some kind of public health measures, as we move forward and move into the months of 2021, approaching the third and fourth quarters, we will see considerable focus towards some forms of normality. “- PA
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