Doctors can’t be sure about COVID-19 vaccine, but say trials are promising

Reporter: Gail Levy Writer: Jack Lowenstein
Published: Updated:
In this screen grab from video issued by Britain’s Oxford University, a volunteer is injected with either an experimental COVID-19 vaccine or a comparison shot as part of the first human trials in the U.K. to test a potential vaccine, led by Oxford University in England on April 25, 2020. About 100 research groups around the world are pursuing vaccines against the coronavirus, with nearly a dozen in early stages of human trials or poised to start. (University of Oxford via AP)

The race to develop a vaccine for the coronavirus is also raising concerns over safety. In a second poll we ran, more than 16,000 people answered, and 65% said they would not get a COVID-19 vaccine immediately.

We spoke to doctors Wednesday about whether they think it will safe to administer a vaccine once it’s been released.

Doctors call it the most highly-anticipated vaccine in our lifetime.

“I think there are going to be so many eyes on it that it’s really not gonna let anything that’s not safe and not affective make it to market in the us,” said. Dr. Lahn Gonsenhauser, the chief quality and patient safety officer at Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center,

The federal government is working with multiple companies to develop a vaccine fast. Results from an early trial suggest one vaccine appears to be safe and provides some immunity.

“But it’s very clear that this isn’t exactly ready for immediate distribution,” said Dr. Christina Johns with PM Pediatrics.

However, Johns said the trials show a promising future.

“There are many questions that still are unanswered, but it also appears that this was a vaccine that didn’t have significant, appropriate doses, didn’t have significant adverse reactions,” Johns said.

We asked how this can be made safe in such a short amount of time.

“I think that their resources are there to really make a push and really put additional resources and staff behind multiple trials and things happening concurrently that otherwise probably wouldn’t happen,” Gonsenhauser said. “Just because of the cost and the difficulty.”

When it’s on the market, would you recommend it to people?

“I’m certainly going to be looking to get it for myself, for my family and recommending it for my friends and patients as well,” Gonsenhauser said.

“I can’t really answer that question because it’s not ready yet,” Johns said. “I don’t have anything to react to. I have something that’s a trial. I have a reassuring trial.”

For these two doctors, it’s a trial that’s on track.

The FDA said any COVID -19 vaccine must prevent illness or decrease the severity of the virus in 50 percent of the people who receive it for the government to allow it for use.

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