‘I would take the vaccine’

Dr Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious disease expert who has guided the United States through the pandemic, projected Americans could expect their first doses of an approved coronavirus vaccine as early as April.

Frontline healthcare workers are expected to receive their first doses by late December or early January. After prioritizing those at risk for infection or serious illness, the healthy general population can expect first doses of a vaccine from April and through July if all continues on the line. right on track, Fauci told the USA TODAY editorial board on Wednesday.

© Jack Gruber
Dr Anthony Fauci, Director, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health.

If most of the population is vaccinated in the summer and fall, Fauci said, people can start to hope to get back to normal before the pandemic.

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“Then you can start talking about this umbrella or corporate protection blanket that would dramatically reduce the risk of someone being exposed or even infected,” he said. “When so many people are protected, that’s when you step into real herd immunity.

But to get there, the reluctance to vaccinate must be addressed, he said, especially among people of color who have a historic distrust of the country’s medical system.

Polls show that among racial and ethnic groups, black Americans are the most reluctant to get the vaccine once it’s available, and their skepticism is growing rapidly. In a September survey, only 32% of black adults said they would receive a vaccine, up from 54% in May.

That’s why Moderna, the company developing a COVID-19 vaccine with the federal government, has made a concerted effort to include minority representation in clinical trials, Fauci said.

“We said we wanted representation in older people, white, brown, black, with underlying conditions, so that we could get a feel for how well it worked across the board,” he said, and not just a “white man vaccine”.

Raising awareness among trusted community leaders is also essential, Fauci said.

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Fauci also pointed out that data on candidate vaccines is reviewed by external, independent advisory committees made up of career scientists, who then present objective results to the Food and Drug Administration, which clears a vaccine for use. Subsequently, the data will be published for anyone to review.

Fauci stressed the importance of transparency, consistency and effective communication that the development of a COVID-19 vaccine is governed by independent science and non-external data.

“I understand from a lot of noise coming out of Washington that some of these governors or mayors … are concerned about the process,” he said, referring to states that have established committees to monitor a vaccine. as an additional layer. scrutiny.

“When it gets approved by the FDA… I would take the vaccine and recommend that my family do so.”

Follow Adrianna Rodriguez on Twitter: @AdriannaUSAT.

Patient health and safety coverage at USA TODAY is made possible in part by a grant from the Masimo Foundation for Ethics, Innovation and Competition in Healthcare. The Masimo Foundation does not provide editorial contributions.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fauci Says Average American Could Get COVID-19 Vaccine As Soon As April: ‘I Would Take The Vaccine’