As part of his role as a U.S. representative, Brett Guthrie serves as the top Republican on the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, as well as the Health subcommittee.
Congressman Guthrie said the committee he is on focuses on healthcare and specifically the coronavirus preparedness that includes studies of testing, PPE availability, and the development of a vaccine. He went on to say three versions of a vaccine aimed to prevent COVID-19 are in the final stage of research.
The Food and Drug Administration will be responsible for approving the vaccine before it hits the market and it will not be available until it is proven safe and effective.
The vaccines are be manufactured as they are being studied. There is a risk that they will have to be disposed of if it doesn’t come to fruition, but he is confident the vaccine will be developed by this fall and approved by the end of the year. The congressman said scientists will already have 50 to 100 million doses.
He said front line workers and healthcare workers could start receiving the vaccines in November or December.
As part of his Second Wave Preparedness Project report, he studies how the federal government will hand the crossover of flu season and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Guthrie said when flu returns, people are not going to know whether they have the flu or the coronavirus. He said an instant test, known as the antigen test, was approved last week.
Health officials with Graves Gilbert Clinic in Bowling Green said the test will be available to the public sometime this week.
Source: WBKO
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