Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), today clarified information about the state of COVID-19 in the United States, including when a vaccine could be made available.
“In order to get a vaccine that’s practically deployable for people to use, it’s going to be at least a year to a year and a half at best,” Fauci said at a press conference.
The number of cases of the new coronavirus continue to rise, and as of today, more than 81,000 people have become infected worldwide, according to a tracker maintained by Johns Hopkins University.
As the number increases, so has the level of concern among the general public, making the natural next questions about preventive measures.
President Trump today attempted to ease growing fears over the spreading coronavirus, saying at the White House that his administration has the situation under control and is “ready to adapt” if the virus spreads.
“Because of all we’ve done, the risk to the American people remains very low,” Trump said. “We’re ready to adapt and ready to do whatever we have to as the disease spreads, if it spreads.”
Fauci responded that there’s confusion over the vaccine’s timeline because of the steps that are necessary to make it available to the public.
He said officials are “close” to starting the first phase of a trial to determine the safety and expected that to occur in one and a half to two months.
However, he asserted that it could be more than a year before a vaccine is administered to humans on a wide scale.
Trump, speaking from the Brady Briefing Room in the White House, also said he was putting Vice President Mike Pence in charge of his administration’s response to the potential pandemic.
Pence, speaking after Trump, reiterated that the “threat to the American public remains low” and said that “we will continue to bring the full resources of the federal government…to see to the health and well-being and to the effective response to the coronavirus in the United States of America.”
Trump — who earlier this week announced a $2.5 billion plan to help combat the illness — said at the briefing that, “We’re going to spend whatever is appropriate.”
The president’s address came amid a tumbling stock market and grave criticism from Democrats who say Trump’s handling of the outbreak have been inadequate. It also came just one day after the CDC warned that it was only a matter of time before the illness, known as COVID-19, will spread across communities in the United States.
Coronavirus fears have spooked financial markets, which fell for the third straight day Wednesday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell more than 100 points Wednesday, nearly 900 points on Tuesday and more than 1,000 points on Monday.