Chanecs of COVID-19 vaccine with 98% effectiveness slim, will be lucky to get 75%: Anthony Fauci
Senior White House coronavirus advisor Dr Anthony Fauci has claimed that the chances of scientists coming up with a coronavirus vaccine with over 98 per cent effectiveness are slim. Fauci said that the scientists are looking for a vaccine with 75 per cent effectiveness but claimed that even a vaccine with lower effectiveness will be acceptable.
"Scientists are hoping for a coronavirus vaccine that is at least 75% effective, but 50% or 60% effective would be acceptable, too," Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said during a Q&A with the Brown University School of Public Health.
“The chances of it being 98% effective is not great, which means you must never abandon the public health approach," he further added.
The FDA in United States of America has said that it would authorise a vaccine as long as it is safe to use and has an effectiveness of at least 50 per cent.
Several major pharmaceuticals including AstraZeneca, Moderna and Novavax have put in their resources in manufacturing a fully functional coronavirus vaccine. Most of the candidates are in the final phases of clinical trials and most realistic timelines have poised the vaccine for a launch by the end of this year or early next year.
