https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/coronavirus-news-roundup-august-29-september-4/ > The items below are highlights from the free newsletter, “Smart, useful, science stuff about COVID-19.” To receive newsletter issues daily in your inbox, sign up here. Please consider a monthly contribution to support this newsletter. > Several media outlets this week have covered hints and speculation that two SARS-CoV-2 vaccines—probably ones being tested by Moderna and by Pfizer in thousands of people—could be approved on an emergency basis in October or November by the U.S. federal government. Groups reported to be prioritized to receive these vaccines include health care workers, essential workers, national security employees, people over 65, Native Americans, prisoners, and people in some other racial and ethnic categories. It’s probably wise to pay attention to recently reported statements by Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top infectious disease official in the U.S., on this topic. In a 9/1/20 story by Liz Szabo at Kaiser Health News, Fauci says that indeed a vaccine could be available “earlier than expected if ongoing clinical trials produce overwhelmingly positive results.” An independent board called the Data and Safety Monitoring Board has the authority to recommend cutting vaccine experiments short if strong results come in, Szabo reports. Fauci says he trusts this board to eschew political influence, the story states. And people also should trust the vaccine approval process because the experimental data behind any recommendations or decisions will be made public, Fauci is described as saying. Others quoted in the story raise concerns about stopping these large-scale efficacy and safety studies early.