It is an effective vaccine later this year achievable calendar. ‘NIH Francis Collins on Big Push

Dr. Francis Collins is a geneticist, the former head of the Human Genome Project and the current director of the National Institutes of Health, the government agency primarily responsible for health research in the United States. In May, he entered the White House Task Force Crown. He also won the Templeton Prize, an award of $1.3 million scientists that explore questions of faith. He spoke for long about the vaccine research, the World Health Organization, and if evangelicals gave more conspiracy theories. You have a better estimate for when we could have a vaccine for COVID-19? to have an effective vaccine until the end of the calendar year can be achieved. But I imagine that this is not a done deal. People say it’s like walking on the moon, just decide to do it. No, that was art. These laws are working well enough. We know how the work gravity and electronics. We do not know enough about how the human body and the immune system and viruses and their work biology. So we are doing everything humanly possible to make this vaccine. But there are some unknowns that we can not ignore. What were the factors that drive the choice of vaccines that the US focus? selected the 19-COVID vaccines for large-scale testing this summer are those that have moved fast enough to show the evidence to produce a good immune response in a small number of volunteers. E ‘was also important to invest in vaccines that different scientific strategies, because this is a new virus, the clock is ticking, and we want to be sure that we have the best chance of success for at least one of these vaccines. And finally, it was really important that the safest possible approaches would be promoted. Are you worried if we get a vaccine that people accept it? I am anxious. Naively, I thought that if human disease actually saw around them, have caused the suffering and death of people know that they have a harder time resisting the idea would be that this could be our best hope as a nation . But I see that emotions do not really like to have in this train turned out to be true. We begin to think of a counter-organized approach, but maybe we should think about when not one. Talk about a horrible result here, suppose we’re lucky, and in January 2021 three hundred million doses of vaccine for humans in the US and millions more to give to the rest of the world. And a significant percentage of people whose lives could be saved, they do not decide that they want because of conspiracy theories other false information. And as a result, you end up not achieving the kind of herd immunity that you need to avoid this year next year back. What a terrible tragedy for us, the supposedly advanced society. You mentioned in the past, a Protestant, but it seems in our current situation is that people on the need for such drastic measures to stop the spread of the crown are often people who call themselves evangelical push back. Why do you think that is? You hear about the extreme positions because they make news. But I think, actually did not buy the majority of believers in the idea that this is a conspiracy, nor do they have to buy the idea that you can ignore the recommendations for public health. These rare people who do anyway and assemble, they say that I do not need no vaccine, because I have Jesus, are the ones that probably the majority does not represent by far the people who both know that science is the best hope we have in this crisis and we also believe in God. Why do you think the US can not manage the pandemic, as well as in other countries? The United States is a large sprawling country with people who have strong opinions about who is allowed to tell them what to do. And so even in cases where early efforts were made to try to encourage people to be careful not to spread the virus through their own behavior, it took a bit ‘to click in this. We are not China. We have no authoritarian government that can feel basically saying now. We are basically a kind of a public health system from the bottom up, not top down. And we count on the American public, now that they have the information to act accordingly. Many states are now opening. Too soon? That depends on whether. Every state is in a different situation. Every part of every state is in a different situation. It certainly has had no cases of COVID-19 in places where they have and where they are doing an appropriate examination to be able to say that it is not really out there in their community, the idea makes sense to begin to be open because this causes larger economic stress and suffering for the people. On the other hand, if you are in a situation like where I am now in Washington, D. C, where the epidemic is still strong, it would be very dangerous to decide to open and simply hope for the best. They recently won the $1.3 million Templeton Prize, which represents “celebrates the scientific and intellectual curiosity.” What does it mean? John Templeton started this award because spirituality in a modern world that might still be in the lives of people of importance, interest, and its unique contribution to the enrichment of their experiences. I assume that this year the selection was based on the fact that I am very open about the harmony that I see between science and faith. In the money Templeton is more worthy of the Nobel, but it has not quite the enthusiasm. The Bible says it’s wrong to lie, so what would you prefer? Oh my. I can satisfy both? In April, the NIH has launched a public-private partnership for research and development of treatments for finance COVID-19 and contained some European agencies. Why do you feel the need to do so? It was clear that we draw all the necessary resources, all the talents, all the organizations together and work consistently and does not go to COVID-19 with lots of scattershot projects. And the only way to really do it, this is my experience that you get it all at one table. This means bringing together industry, 18 companies now, the National Institutes of Health, the largest supporter of medical research with public funds, the CDC, the FDA, the Europeans, and say, OK all, do not allow us to know uncoordinated, let’s find out what are the most important things that need to happen to get together and lassen.’und this is what we do now. I’ve never been so happens all seen, with the broad support of this kind of joint effort that. And I saw that probably never happened so quickly. Sounds like the World Health Organization (WHO). If you have to bring concerns about the WHO and its people skills together in this way? Who has a tough job. You can not draw conclusions or move in a direction to get them out of more than 100 countries sign-off normally. They took very seriously its mandate. They are our partners in many ways and for many decades. Are you a follower of the movement to distance America from WHO and withdraw the funding? Diseases do not care too much national borders. I do not think it’s a good idea when it comes to health issues to keep in mind for us that we really the ones who can deal with just by looking at our nation effectively. We may not only soldiers in the world that we have been throughout history, but also doctors. You’re chief Anthony Fauci. How about him? Tony and I talk a bit ‘of time 8: 00-10: 00 every night. This is a wonderful partnership. I joined him as part of the White House Task Force [on COVID-19], the one that another ally in the room it did when these conversations going on about what to do the right thing and is open too early and what do we really know about the effectiveness or this or that treatment. It will be nice for him to be there. Why do you feel the need to join him? I was invited, gave me the feeling that the White House is interested in is still additional scientific input. I see that the task force their attention is shifting more towards scientific arguments about what we should do to speed up next and, above all, on treatments and vaccines and how we can do this. I’m in the middle of it, so it now makes more sense. What has biggest surprise of this pandemic? I was not prepared for a virus that could infect humans with no symptoms and have them be very contagious. That is new. Does that make you reconsider whether the United States would benefit from a primary universal health care system has health insurance? There is no doubt that COVID-19 seems to be a bright light has the very serious issue for health disparities in the United States. Check the state of Georgia, where 30% of African-American citizens, but 80% of people in hospital with COVID-19 are African Americans. We have known that; NIH was engaged in an effort that ultimately change with customs. But most of the public does not really have all that much attention to the fact that our health system has built so many injustices. You can not look at those in this hour without seeing. It makes you wish for a better system. Are you a fan of some form of universal public health? I believe that health care is a right and not a privilege should be. To the extent that this is not true in the United States, we have work to do. Our current systems have not reached that kind of principle. And we tried to keep. What makes one day look like for you? I have this morning at 3:30 because I had things in May so I needed to get ready before the day came in all matter .. I never felt the same sense of urgency in 27 years at the NIH me now. One gets the feeling that even a small mistake could cost one day be a real result in a few months in terms of someone’s life. We have to put pressure on any type of energy, the potential collaboration, and intelligence and creativity that we can, and not make mistakes. But we also have to take risks. So you put it all together, that’s why I get up at 3:30. He wrote in his book, God’s language, which complements the principles of faith with the principles of science. Since it is impossible to prove that God exists, how can it be true? Faith, as you say, is not to support with evidence, but there are certainly many rational arguments faith in God the creator. That’s where I found myself 27 the age at which I tried to show my atheism, and we found that atheism is probably the least rational of all the decisions, because a universal negative, assume the position of claiming that scientists generally discouraged to do.
Picture copyright by Andrew Harnik-Getty Images