The coronavirus pandemic has had an undeniable effect on numerous aspects of society. Amidst this health crisis, there have been multiple reports regarding the status of a possible coronavirus vaccine. According to The Hill, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) just issued a statement about vaccine sites that may just signal that a vaccine could be on the way sometime this year or in early 2021. The publication noted that the CDC had asked states to have vaccine sites ready by Nov. 1. Now, this does not mean that a vaccine would be ready by the beginning of November, but this does serve as a great sign that one could be on the way in the near future.
CDC director Robert Redfield issued a letter to state governors and health departments in which he expressed that the McKesson Corporation and its subsidiaries would soon be applying for permits to build vaccine distribution sites across the country. In the letter, Redfield asked governors to consider waiving requirements that could possibly delay the construction or opening of the sites. “The normal time required to obtain these permits presents a significant barrier to the success of this urgent public health program,” the director wrote. “CDC urgently requests your assistance in expediting applications for these distribution facilities and, if necessary, asks that you consider waiving requirements that would prevent these facilities from becoming fully operational by November 1, 2020.” Redfield went on to assure governors that the requirements that they may need to waive would not “compromise the safety or integrity of the products being distributed.”
Videos by PopCulture.com
On Tuesday, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar told governors on a call with the coronavirus task force that they were working with states to develop a distribution model once a vaccine passes the necessary safety trials. According to a top aide to one governor who was on the call, Azar said that the CDC was working with Minnesota, North Dakota, California, Florida, and the city of Philadelphia. It’s unlikely that a coronavirus vaccine will be able to pass the large-scale, phase-three trials before Nov. 1. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, has said numerous times over the past year that a vaccine may not be ready until sometime between the end of 2020 and the beginning of 2021.
Although, on Wednesday, Fauci gave a more optimistic answer about the possibility of having a coronavirus vaccine in place this year. During his appearance on the Today Show, he said that a successful vaccine candidate could be delivered by the end of the year, depending on how the trials go. He said, “I believe that by the time we get to the end of this calendar year that we will feel comfortable that we do have a safe and effective vaccine.”
