A coronavirus expert at the University of Iowa says he’s encouraged by the rapid progress drug companies are making on COVID-19 vaccines.
Dr. Stanley Perlman is part of a scientific panel that will advise the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on whether to grant emergency authorization for their use.
Dr. Perlman says there are no signs of major side effects from the two leading vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna, but they can cause flu-like symptoms after each dose.
“I think it’s important for people to know that this might occur,” Perlman says. “The other thing is that if one does react like this then we think that this will correlate with a good immune response to the virus so you actually will be protected.”
Perlman says the first doses could be released within weeks but it will likely be several more months before vaccinations become widely available.
By Grant Gerlock, Iowa Public Radio