The exciting news that a COVID-19 vaccine has performed exceedingly well in trials has the nation feeling more optimistic about the future. The vaccine, given in two doses, three weeks apart, per Today is 90 percent effective. And for his part, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and who has notably clashed with President Donald Trump, told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer of the breakthrough, “It’s extraordinary.”
He added, “It is really a big deal.” Meanwhile, Blitzer was quick to point out that getting good news about the pandemic is quite rare — and that this was seemingly a break from the dreary statistics and scary outlook about the future of life as we know it.
While he was overly very optimistic about the vaccine, Dr. Fauci did caution that the US would still need to go over the details of the data, but added about Pfizer, the manufacturer of the vaccine, “This is a highly reputable company.”
Dr. Fauci talks next steps for the vaccine
Today noted the breakthrough drug could be available to frontline workers as early as next month. The logistics of distributing the vaccine to the general public is yet to be determined, but Dr. Fauci said this is being worked out as we speak, and that the groundwork is already in place.
Dr. Fauci further explained there are still questions about the “durability of the effect” of the drug, and how effective it would be across various age groups. “The bottom line is, as a vaccine, it is over 90 percent effective,” he emphasized, adding this breakthrough will play a major role in the outcome of the pandemic. “That’s the immediate good news,” he said.
But wait — there’s more! The infectious disease expert went on to say the other good news is that there is another company, Moderna, that has a similarly-formulated vaccine. “Their results will be coming out soon,” he informed Blitzer during the uplifting interview.
“The news is really good all the way around,” Dr. Fauci concluded, adding, “This is something that you should really feel good about.” Okay, Dr. Fauci, we will. But we also hear you when you say there is light at the end of the tunnel, yet mask wearing and other public health measures remain important.
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