Noam Tau from Israel's Sheba Medical Centre has asserted that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is highly effective in assessing the safety of vaccines before their release.
In a recently published study, he focused on whether the US public should trust the FDA in terms of vaccine safety amid concerns over the spread of predominantly-American "anti-vaxx" ideas pertaining to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
"I know I won't sway dedicated anti-vaxxers, but I hope that the many people who are on the fence will be swayed by this study to vaccinate their children", Tau pointed out.
He added that the study indicates "very high safety levels of vaccines" and that "it's important that this kind of clear information is available right now, if public confidence in vaccines is to be built".
According to the study, the 57 vaccines approved from 1996 to 2015, have yielded at least 58 safety-related issues, which Tau claimed is "reassuring".
Speaking to The Times of Israel, he specifically underscored the importance of studying FDA records because "the anti-vaxx movement is starting to make tracks elsewhere in the world […] at a time when infectious diseases are at a low worldwide".
"This needs to be nipped in the bud for humanity's sake. If trust in the future vaccine in the US drops to a low level, other countries may follow their footsteps, with people saying, 'If the Americans don't do it [vaccinate] why should we?' I’m worried about this", he emphasised.
Touching upon the proposed COVID-19 vaccines, he argued that most of them "use familiar technologies which we already know to be safe — changes are minimal, though new vaccines will nevertheless be thoroughly tested".
"Even if it's just $5, this may have an impact. There will be people saying [of the authorities] that if you don’t have it for free it shows you don’t really want us to take it", the medic noted.
His remarks come after the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) and American biotechnology company Moderna started human trials of a COVID-19 vaccine, which will include around 30,000 US participants at multiple clinical sites. The trials unfold as other countries, including Russia, the UK and China, are speeding up efforts to complete similar tests as soon as possible.
Mike Ryan, head of the WHO's Health Emergencies Programme, for his part, remained cautiously optimistic on the matter, arguing that "realistically, it is going to be the first part of next year before we start seeing people getting vaccinated" against the coronavirus.
Recent polls have, meanwhile, indicated that only 49% of Americans agree to get a COVID-19 shot, with 20% unwilling to do so and 31% unsure.
Anti-vaxxers, in turn, point to Bill Gates-related conspiracy theories denied by the billionaire as well as alleged side effects from the use of the vaccine, such as infant death syndrome (SIDS) and allergies, among other things.
