Dr. Anthony Fauci expects results from the first human trials associated with Moderna’s potential coronavirus vaccine to be available in either November or December, he told CNN.
The director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said a best-case scenario could bring results in October, but he told the news network that that timeline was doubtful.
On Thursday, President Donald Trump said a vaccine could be ready in time for the presidential election in November. Fauci’s claims coincides with other experts who anticipate a vaccine debuting in early 2021.
When Moderna announced the start of its Phase 3 trials at the end of July, it said if successful through testing, the vaccine would be widely available in 2021.
At the end of July, Moderna announced it would begin conducting trials of the candidate vaccine on 30,000 people – the first time its been tested on a large scale human population.
According to CNN, through the first five days of the trial, 1,290 people were enrolled in Phase 3.
“The first week had very few sites activated,” Fauci told CNN. “As more sites get activated, enrollment will very likely increase significantly.”
More than 300,000 people have registered with the the COVID-19 Prevention Network to take part in clinical trials, the report said. Volunteers selected will receive an injection or infusion – either the potential vaccine or a placebo. Each participant receives two injections spaced about 28 days apart.
Volunteers will be asked to track how they feel for about a week following the infusion or shot. If individuals become infected with COVID-19, the study said staff will work with them to make sure they receive the proper care.
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