Another Phase 3 vaccine trial begins

British drugmaker AstraZeneca said Monday it has started Phase 3 trials of its experimental coronavirus vaccine in the United States, becoming the third company to do so. AstraZeneca said it is "recruiting up to 30,000 adults aged 18 years or over from diverse racial, ethnic and geographic groups who are healthy or have stable underlying medical conditions, including those living with HIV, and who are at increased risk of infection from the SARS-CoV-2 virus." But as more Covid-19 vaccines enter Phase 3 trials, there are new questions about realistic and safe timelines for when these vaccines could be approved for use. Dr. Stephen Hahn, commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration, said in an interview over the weekend that the agency could consider authorization or approval for a Covid-19 vaccine before these large-scale trials were complete. Many are wary of such a move. A CNN poll last month showed that 40% of Americans do not want to get a coronavirus vaccine when it becomes available, even if it's free and easy to access. Citing criticism of government agencies and increasing public distrust of vaccines, several prominent physicians and experts are calling for the creation of an independent commission to review data from coronavirus vaccine trials before a vaccine is allowed on the market.