The nation's top infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci said we'll know of an effective and safe COVID-19 vaccine by the end of this year. On BBC Sunday, the doctor said this:
"We will know whether a vaccine is safe and effective by the end of November, the 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."
Fauci goes on to say there won't be enough to vaccinate the general population by December. Limited doses would first go to health care workers and people at higher risk for complications. He predicts it will become widely available nationally in the second to third quarter of next year.
A concern thatFauciand other health experts have is whether Americans will get a vaccine once it does become available. Surveys show that Americans are becoming less interested in getting a COVID-19 vaccine amid fearsthat the development is being rushed. Black Americans—who are disproportionately affected by the coronavirus— are seeing the largest drop in vaccine confidence.
