Fauci Warns Against Premature Authorization of COVID-19 Vaccine
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the country's leading infectious and disease expert, warned against the premature authorization of the COVID-19 vaccine. Fauci believed that this could damage efforts to develop other vaccines.
The United States still leads the world in the number of COVID-19 infections and death toll. As of today, the country has recorded nearly six million infections, with over 181,000 deaths, according to the official data of the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.
Many companies are fast-tracking the development of COVID-19 vaccines. In fact, Russia said has approved the first COVID-19 vaccine named "Sputnik," which has yet to go through crucial Phase 3 trials where it would be administered to thousands of people.
The country's decision to approve the vaccine in the absence of Phase 3 trials and with a minimal number of at least 40 persons administered with the vaccine draws different criticisms from health experts, including the World Health Organization (WHO).
Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases since 1984, warned against the early emergency use authorization for a potential COVID-19 vaccine as it may affect the development of other vaccines.
He issued the statement following the rumors that White House plan to use an early emergency authorization before late-stage trials of a vaccine are finished.
But Michael Caputo, the assistant secretary for public affairs at the US Department of Health and Human Services, clarified that there was no effort to fast track vaccine development for political purposes.
"The one thing that you would not want to see with a vaccine is getting an EUA before you have a signal of efficacy," Fauci said in a Reuters report.
He stressed that rushing out a vaccine could jeopardize the trials and testing of other pharmaceutical companies and researchers who continue to develop vaccines.
Fauci also explained that one of the potential dangers of letting out a vaccine that bypasses standards is that it would make it difficult for the other vaccines to enroll people in their trial. It will also increases the fear of people not getting vaccinated because of the short timeline the vaccine was developed and released.
Many vaccines are being tested today in the country. While these developers are testing the vaccines, they are also producing massive numbers of vials so that once there is a vaccine proven safe and effective, it could immediately be distributed.
Some vaccinologists believed that the timeline of having a safe and effective vaccine before the year ends is unrealistic.
However, a credible source close to the White House COVID-19 task force still believed that the timeline for a vaccine remains the same and a vaccine is still expected late this year or early next year.
"To me, it's absolutely paramount that you definitively show that a vaccine is safe and effective, both. We would hope that nothing interferes with the full demonstration that a vaccine is safe and effective," Fauci noted.
Having a safe and effective vaccine has been the target of different health organizations as pharmaceutical companies and researchers fast-track to develop a vaccine, which process typically takes years.