The White House Coronavirus Task Force’s Dr. Anthony Fauci called on Americans to “put to rest” theories that an FDA-approved coronavirus vaccine might be unsafe.
“We need to put to rest any concept that this was rushed in any inappropriate way. This is really solid,” Fauci said of the coronavirus vaccine candidates, two of which have reached nearly 95% effectiveness in Phase 3 clinical trials. Pfizer plans to apply for Emergency Use Authorization for its candidate “within days,” according to the company.
Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious disease expert, said he’d heard “some reticence” about the safety and efficacy of the forthcoming vaccine given the speediness of its development.
“The process of the speed did not compromise at all safety nor did it compromise scientific integrity,” Fauci said. “It was a reflection of the extraordinary scientific advances in these types of vaccines which allowed us to do things in months that actually took years before so I really want to settle that concern that people have about that.”
The well-known infectious disease expert also noted that, “An independent body of people who have no allegiance to anyone– not the administration, not to me, not to the companies, looked at the data and deemed it to be sound.”
Fauci also said people in high priority groups could expect to begin getting vaccinated by the end of December.
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