COVID-19 vaccine approval ‘could be January, could be later' says Dr. Anthony Fauci

It’s not looking good for a COVID-19 vaccine in 2020.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told The Journal of the American Medical Association editor-in-chief Howard Bauchner that a vaccine probably won’t be ready until next year — an estimate that doesn’t jibe with President Trump’s assertion that we’re “rounding the corner.”

According to Fauci, five potential vaccines are in phase three trials — and one or two of those manufacturers could successfully apply for emergency use authorization from the FDA next month. That means it’s possible one or both of those companies will be cleared to move forward in 2021, according to Fauci.

“Could be January, could be later, we don’t know,” he said in a virtual interview with JAMA

It’s also unclear when a vaccine would reach the general public in large numbers after its been deemed safe, though Fauci appeared confident in the White House’s distribution plan.

Also Wednesday, Fauci seemed less than optimistic about soon ending the pandemic, telling the Melbourne University of Medicine that the U.S. may “start having some semblance of normality” at the end of 2021 or later.

On Monday he called COVID-19 “the mother of all outbreaks” and declared, “We’re not even close to being finished with it yet," during an interview with Yale Institute for Global Health.

Trump has said repeatedly a vaccine is near, without giving specifics. In August he told radio show host Giraldo Rivera that it was possible vaccinations would be available by Election Day.

“Sooner that the end of the year, could be much sooner,” Trump said during that interview.

When Rivera asked about Nov. 3 as a target date, Trump reportedly said “I think in some cases, yes possible before, but right around that time.”

Trump has complained the pandemic is being used to hurt his re-election bid.

“Covid, Covid, Covid is the unified chant of the Fake News Lamestream Media,” he tweeted Wednesday morning. “They will talk about nothing else until November 4th, when the Election will be (hopefully!) over. Then the talk will be how low the death rate is, plenty of hospital rooms, & many tests of young people.”

Nearly 226,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 in 2020, according to the CDC.