Leading US expert on Covid-19 is « cautiously optimistic »: a safe and effective vaccine could arrive sooner than many expected
« We anticipate that we will know if we have a safe and effective vaccine probably by the end of this calendar year, » Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told former Prime Minister Helen Clark
« I would predict November and December It could be sooner, I think it’s unlikely but not impossible »
But ensuring equitable distribution and access around the world will present one of the biggest challenges
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The United States has already allocated funds to produce doses for an effective vaccine This puts them months ahead of many countries, including New Zealand
Fauci told Clark and reporter Linda Clark during a virtual chat hosted by the Aspen Institute of New Zealand – which you can check out above – that the financial risks associated with the preparations were worth it. To be taken
« If the vaccine works you’ve saved several months, if it doesn’t work you’ve wasted a lot of money It’s thought to be worth the risk of the money, » he said
A vaccine could start rolling out for people classified as more vulnerable in the United States – the elderly, people with pre-existing health conditions and healthcare workers – almost immediately
Clark agreed with the need to help vulnerable populations first, but hoped it would be done on a global scale She highlighted India – which has been flagged as a Covid hotspot – 19 and has recorded over 63 million cases of it – as a country that could simply miss out if there is no equitable distribution agreement in place
This is a goal that all countries must achieve on the basis of moral responsibility and enlightened self-interest, said Fauci
« If you don’t, this virus will continue to exist and it will continue to threaten us primarily »
New Zealand has already made progress in this area and signed a $ 27 million deal to secure the Covid-19 vaccines from the global Covax facility for half of the population
In 36 years, the Fauci has seen many epidemics and pandemics He is aware that countries do not always work together, but hopes things could be different after this pandemic
“I’ve been through several epidemics because it’s my choice in life, it’s my career, my profession – from the early days of HIV, through the flu pandemics, Zika, Ebola, Chikungunya, West Nile virus
« Getting someone to prepare for something that hasn’t happened is very, very difficult so I hope we develop this corporate memory that won’t go away within a year, two or three, and that we remember the terrible ordeal that we are all going through right now It is truly historic – historic in its implications for health and historic in its economic implications «
Before the emergence of Sars-CoV-2, Fauci had never seen a virus with such a wide range of symptoms and manifestations The realization that a significant portion of those infected may not have any symptoms has was one of the most difficult lessons
Clark is leading a review of the World Health Organization (WHO) response to the pandemic alongside former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
She underlined the effectiveness of the New Zealand “5 million team” throughout the trip By comparison, looking at the response in the United States, a division clearly formed
“People really want to be part of the solution,” Clark said of New Zealanders
Fauci attributed the struggles of the United States to his country’s multi-level system of government and the independent nature of Americans
« If you firmly adhere to a central directive, you do much better, you do much better, » said Fauci
Anthony Fauci, Donald Trump, Coronavirus, Mask
World News – CA – Covid-19: Dr Anthony Fauci « cautiously optimistic » of the coronavirus vaccine from here the end of the year – but New Zealand will make it have access?
SOURCE: https://www.w24news.com
