Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Vaccines Are Hurtling Through Development Process, But That Doesn't Mean They'll Be Ready By Fall
Vaccines to prevent Covid-19 infection are hurtling through development at speeds never before seen. But mounting promises that some vaccine may be available for emergency use as early as the autumn are fueling expectations that are simply unrealistic, experts warn. (Branswell, 5/6)
Pfizer Inc. has administered the first U.S. patients with its experimental vaccines to fight the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, part of a bid to shave years off of the typical time it takes to develop a new inoculation. The trials are being conducted at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine and the University of Maryland School of Medicine, the drugmaker said Tuesday. 鈥淭he short, less than four-month time-frame in which we鈥檝e been able to move from preclinical studies to human testing is extraordinary,鈥 Chief Executive Officer Albert Bourla said in a statement. (Koons, 5/5)
The vaccine, which carries genetic code known as messenger RNA, attempts to reprogram the deadly pathogen rather than manipulate the live virus. "It is probably the fastest way of having a vaccine available to stem this pandemic, based on the data that I have seen," said Kathrin Jansen, who leads vaccine research for Pfizer. (Costello and Stelloh, 5/5)
Three-quarters of Americans would take a coronavirus vaccine after receiving certain assurances that it was safe, and another 9% would take one as soon as it was available, a Reuters/Ipsos poll released Tuesday showed. (Bernstein, 5/5)
President Donald Trump on Tuesday softened his ambitious pledge from just days earlier that there could be a coronavirus vaccine by year鈥檚 end. 鈥淵ou can never be convinced,鈥 Trump, during a trip to Arizona, told ABC News鈥 David Muir in an interview when asked whether he was still firm in that declaration, contending that 鈥渨e have a really good shot of having something very, very substantial.鈥 (Oprysko, 5/5)