|
Pence says there will be a vaccine "before the end of this year." Here's what we know
Vice President Mike Pence said this morning that he believes the US will have a coronavirus vaccine before the end of 2020.
"We have many companies — several companies — that are in phase 3 clinical trials for a vaccine that I believe we'll have before the end of this year," he said on CNN this morning.
Pence added: "But we're also not waiting on that. We're actually manufacturing millions of doses of a vaccine so the moment the FDA says it's safe and effective, we'll be able to distribute it to the American people."
Some background: President Trump has suggested that a vaccine for the coronavirus could be ready before Election Day this year. And while It's possible that a vaccine could be approved by the Food and Drug Administration at some point in November, there is obviously no firm timeline or guarantee that one will be.
And even when one is approved, it will likely still be many months before it's widely available across the US. In interviews last month, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infections disease expert, made clear that while a vaccine could be approved by or possibly before November, it would likely not be available widely until "several months" into 2021.
|