The director of the United States National Institutes of
Health (NIH) said Thursday that he is optimistic that a government program will
generate a safe and effective vaccine to prevent COVID-19 by the end of the
year and can meet the goal of have 300 million doses in early 2021.
"That is really a difficult goal, but it is the right
goal for the American people," Dr. Francis Collins said at a hearing in a
subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee to discuss the program.
Dr. Gary Disbrow, acting director of the Advanced Biomedical
Research and Development Authority (BARDA), said the United States government
was trying to negotiate the lowest possible price for a vaccine. Still, he
added that the country will likely have to pay more for any undeveloped with
government funds. BARDA has provided funding for three vaccine candidates being
developed under Operation Warp Speed by Moderna Inc, Johnson & Johnson,
and AstraZeneca Plc.
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