May 22, 2020 - Health

Fauci on Moderna vaccine: "I'm cautiously optimistic"

NIAID Director Anthony Fauci said he's "cautiously optimistic" about a Moderna coronavirus vaccine that appeared to generate antibody responses to the virus in a small number of patients, at a CNN town hall on Thursday.

What he's saying: "Although the numbers were limited, it was quite good news because it reached and went over an important hurdle in the development of vaccines. That's the reason why I'm cautiously optimistic about it."

Catch up quick: Moderna released early data from its phase one trial with the vaccine on Monday. The vaccine did not appear to cause life-threatening side effects and was found to be "generally safe and well-tolerated" when used on eight healthy volunteers, Axios' Bob Herman reported earlier this week.

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