Coronavirus vaccine may arrive early than expectations: Fauci

Washington : Dr Anthony Fauci, the United States' top infectious disease official, has claimed that the coronavirus vaccine may arrive in market earlier than expectations as the trial results of many vaccines are overwhelming. Multiple vaccine candidates against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, are currently being evaluated in phase 3 trials to ensure they are safe and effective.

Fauci had said that the US will know whether there’s a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine around the end of 2020 or early 2021 as he continues to be cautiously optimistic. In an interview with KHN on Tuesday, the country’s leading epidemiologist said the Data and Safety Monitoring Board has the authority to end vaccine trials if interim results are overwhelmingly negative or positive.

The Data and Safety Monitoring Board could say, "The data is so good right now that you can say it’s safe and effective," said Fauci, adding he trusts the independent board to hold vaccines to the highest standards of safety and ethical norms without political influence. 

Most of the members in independent board are not government employees.

“If you are making a decision about the vaccine, you’d better be sure you have very good evidence that it is both safe and effective. I’m not concerned about political pressure,” Fauci added.