French epidemiologist warns that an effective vaccine by 2021 is unlikely

He said that while there might in all likelihood be at least one that works "partially," we should not expect a vaccine to be released that will be 100% effective.

By ZACHARY KEYSER
A view shows the Eiffel Tower in Paris on its reopening day to the public following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in France, June 25, 2020 (photo credit: REUTERS)
A view shows the Eiffel Tower in Paris on its reopening day to the public following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in France, June 25, 2020
(photo credit: REUTERS)
Epidemiologist Arnaud Fontanet, who is a member of the team counseling the French government on how to best combat the coronavirus, asserted that he would be "surprised" if the collective of scientists across the world concocted an "effective" coronavirus vaccine by 2021, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP).
He said that while there might in all likelihood be at least one that works "partially," we should not expect a vaccine to be released that will be 100% effective.
"A vaccine is several years in development. Of course, there is an unprecedented effort to develop a vaccine, but I would be very surprised if we had one that was effective in 2021," Fontanet said while speaking on BFMTV, according to AFP.
He projected that the world will "have to live with this virus" for a while longer and adopt "more serious habits," so as to prevent the transmission or contraction of COVID-19 while being in a public setting, considering that a second lockdown is currently not up for debate.
"This summer, let's respect physical distance, at least!" he concluded, noting that large gatherings are the main culprits behind the viral spread.
New French Prime Minister Jean Castex said on Wednesday that if there is a major new coronavirus outbreak, any new lockdown will be targeted and not imposed nationwide.
The previous French government enforced a strict nationwide lockdown from mid-March to May 11 to curb the spread of COVID-19, and some restrictions on public gatherings are still in place.
"We must be ready for a second wave, but we would not proceed to a general lockdown like in March, as that has terrible economic and human consequences. Any new lockdown would be targeted," Castex told BFM television.
France slowly began reopening its economy a couple of weeks ago – beginning with restaurants, shops, barbers, etc., eventually adding museums, sporting events and cultural sites.
Just last Friday, patrons wanting to visit the Eiffel Tower were once again able to enjoy a drink and even dance on its summer terrace, after it opened this week to stunning views of Paris under a warm, blue sky.
The tower closed in mid-March due to the coronavirus outbreak, its longest period out of action since World War II, but re-opened to the public on June 25.
While all visitors to the Eiffel Tower are required to wear face masks and keep safe distance, few people at the opening event on July 9 wore them.
"It’s really nice, it’s hot so it’s the moment to party in the open air," said French student Mia Lahrich. "I feel good and people are cool. I feel like I forgot the coronavirus."
France on Friday became the sixth country to report a total coronavirus death toll of more than 30,000, with the number of new confirmed cases above 600 for the third day in a row.
The health ministry said in a statement that 25 people had died from coronavirus infection in the past 24 hours, boosting the cumulative total since early March to 30,004.
Friday's increase compares to an average increase of 15 in the previous seven days. In June, France averaged 34 deaths per day, as opposed to 143 daily in May and 695 in April.
The number of people in hospital with COVID-19 fell by 115 to 7,062, continuing a weeks-long downward trend. The number of people in intensive care units fell by 16 to 496, the first time the ICU count had fallen below 500 since mid-March.
The number of confirmed coronavirus infections rose by 658 to 170,752, the third day in a row with more than 600 new infections, compared to a daily average of 495 over the past 30 days and 527 over the past seven days.
Reuters contributed to this report.