The nation’s top infectious disease expert said in an online interview Friday that he’s “cautiously optimistic” a COVID-19 vaccine could be developed soon, but acknowledged the chances it would be highly effective are “not great.”
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said in a discussion hosted by Brown University in Providence, that he hopes a coronavirus vaccine could be 75% effective but one that’s 50% to 60% effective would also be acceptable. He said it’s unlikely early versions could achieve the effectiveness of vaccines for measles, smallpox, polio and other illnesses that have been virtually eradicated.
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“What I’m shooting for is somewhere between really good control and elimination,” Fauci said. “The chances of it being 98% effective is not great, which means you must never abandon the public health approach.”
Key data on the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines in development could come as soon as November, and there’s also been progress on developing therapeutics for the virus, he added.“There’s a lot of action going on,” said Fauci, who has at times has been at odds with President Donald Trump’s pandemic response. “This is going to end.”
But he urged states seeing upticks of as little as 1% to 2% in coronavirus cases need to respond quickly and decisively because the increases never reverse themselves without public health intervention.
Fauci said another broad, economic shutdown won’t be needed, so long as officials across the nation take the proper steps to avoid a potentially difficult fall and winter for the virus.
Northeast states, including Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey and Connecticut have imposed tightened restrictions on travelers coming from Rhode Island as the state’s COVID-19 cases have steadily increased in recent weeks.
Democratic Gov. Gina M. Raimondo has also imposed travel restrictions, limited capacity at beaches, reduced the permitted size of parties and other large social gatherings, and ordered an 11 p.m. closure of restaurant bar areas, among other steps, in response to the rising infections.
Fauci is slated to join Raimondo Aug. 13 for a Facebook Live forum on the state’s school reopening plan.
Parents of Rhode Island school children will be able to submit questions to Fauci and Raimondo about the start of school this fall.
(Distributed by The Associated Press)
