Scientists across the globe are in a race against time to develop a vaccine. Leading the race are candidates from USA, Russia and China. Russia had also announced its plans to roll out Mass COVID-19 vaccination from October. However, the US’s top infectious diseases expert Anthony Fauci has raised concerns about the coronavirus vaccine developed by Russia and China, adding that the US is unlikely to use them.

“I do hope that the Chinese and the Russians are actually testing the vaccine before they are administering the vaccine to anyone,” he told a US Congressional hearing on Friday, AFP reported. “Claims of having a vaccine ready to distribute before you do testing, I think, is problematic, at best,” he added.

Fauci’s statement comes after Russia and China had claimed to be almost ready with the vaccine. “We are going very quickly. I do not believe that there will be vaccines, so far ahead of us, that we will have to depend on other countries to get us vaccines,” Fauci said. The US had also alleged earlier that China-backed hackers are trying to target COVID-19 vaccine firm, Moderna.

Meanwhile, the COVID-19 outbreak shows no signs of stabilising with 17.6 million cases reported globally. Over 679,000 people have died so far from the infection.