--- title: "Fauci: We Could Cut Trials Short and Give Out COVID Vaccine “Right Now”" description: "According to Anthony Fauci, top infectious disease expert, there could be a safe way to start giving out a COVID vaccine earlier than expected." date: "2020-09-02" modified: "2020-09-02" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/fauci-trials-covid-vaccine-right-now" categories: - "Developments" - "Health & Medicine" tags: - "anthony fauci" - "coronavirus" - "covid19" - "fauci" - "vaccine" --- # Fauci: We Could Cut Trials Short and Give Out COVID Vaccine “Right Now” ![According to Anthony Fauci, top infectious disease expert, there could be a safe way to start giving out a coronavirus vaccine earlier than expected.]() *\Image: HeungSoon via Pixabay/Victor Tangermann\* According to Anthony Fauci, the United States' top infectious disease expert, there could be a safe way to start giving out a COVID vaccine earlier than expected. Fauci said during a [Tuesday interview]() with *Kaiser Health News* that the Data and Safety Monitoring Board, a committee made up of independent experts who evaluate the safety of vaccine development, could decide that "'the data is so good right now that you can say it's safe and effective.'" In other words, researchers could end the trials early and start giving out the vaccine. Three COVID vaccines have reached late stage large-scale trials in the US, according to *CNN*, including one by pharmaceutical company [Moderna](). It's a touchy subject — and complicating matters is the politicization of the vaccine by U.S. president Donald Trump. Experts have claimed that Trump is pressuring regulators to [release a vaccine early]() to help with his reelection later this year. Fauci remained steadfast during Tuesday's interview. "If you are making a decision about the vaccine, you'd better be sure you have very good evidence that it is both safe and effective," Fauci said. "I'm not concerned about political pressure." Health experts are reluctant to make any claims as to when a coronavirus vaccine will be made available. Some claim that ending trials early would likely come with inherent safety risks, as [*CNN* reports](). Fauci is optimistic. He believes that we could make rapid progress before the end of 2020. "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," Fauci [told *NBC*]() today. Fauci's main concern right now, actually, is the upcoming flu season, something the nation needs to get ahead of. "What I'd really like to see is a full court press to get us way down as a baseline, so that when you get these cases in the fall, they won't surge up," Fauci added. **READ MORE:** [There's a legitimate way to end coronavirus vaccine trials early, Fauci says]() \[*CNN*\] **More on Fauci:** *[Trump Wants to Approve a COVID Vaccine Before They're Done Testing It]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()