The head of the FDA says the agency may consider allowing a coronavirus vaccine to be put on the market before finishing tests, which health experts fear could lead to more illness.
Two vaccines, including one made by Cambridge-based Moderna, are in phase three clinical trials — the step that determines whether a vaccine is effective and safe for large populations. FDA chief Dr. Stephen Hahn said the agency may issue an emergency use authorization or even approval, for the vaccine’s use if a manufacturer applies.
Dr. Ashish Jha, director of the Harvard Global Health Institute, said rushing a vaccine to market could create more problems.
“f you’re going to give it to millions of people who are otherwise healthy, you have to have a much higher bar, and so what I would like to see is really robust data, ideally a full review before we go ahead and authorize any kind of a vaccine,” he said.
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