CNN: Moderna's clinical trial numbers show there's 'no way' Trump can have a vaccine by Election Day
UC expert leading local trial is encouraged by community response
Carl Fichtenbaum, MD, of the Division of Infectious Diseases at the UC College of Medicine, is featured in an article by CNN on the trial of the Moderna vaccine for COVID-19. In the story, Peter Hotez, MD, a vaccinologist at Baylor College of Medicine and CNN medical expert, says there is "no way" the vaccine will be ready by Election Day Nov. 3 as President Trump is hoping.
Carl Fichtenbaum, MD, of the Division of Infectious Diseases at the UC College of Medicine. Photo/Colleen Kelley/UC Creative + Brand
Fichtenbaum, who is the medical director for the Moderna trial at UC, told CNN he expects to start enrolling patients at his site in the middle of August. He said his goal is to enroll 500 patients, and already 2,500 patients have reached out to him inquiring about the trial.
"We're getting good numbers," he said of the trial. "I think this accrual is going to hit its target pretty quickly."
Read the entire story here.
Impact Lives Here
The University of Cincinnati is leading public urban universities into a new era of innovation and impact. Our faculty, staff and students are saving lives, changing outcomes and bending the future in our city's direction. Next Lives Here.
Stay up on all UC's COVID-19 stories, read more #UCtheGood content, or take a UC virtual visit and begin picturing yourself at an institution that inspires incredible stories.
Related Stories
Putting preschool into perspective
July 20, 2026
Preschool and childcare can be difficult to navigate for parents, as Spectrum News 1 Ohio recently reported. Waitlists are long, and factors like cost, location and transportation can limit options. According to a recent study published by The Annie E. Casey Foundation, only 41% of 3- to 4-year-olds in Ohio were enrolled in preschool between 2020 and 2024 — a 4% decrease from pre-pandemic numbers. For University of Cincinnati early childhood education faculty member Chad Nunamaker, that statistic has caveats.
Ticks that survive pesticides can withstand colder winters
July 17, 2026
Ticks that survive less-than-lethal doses of pesticide are able to withstand dangerous cold, which could help them expand their range farther north, according to researchers at the University of Cincinnati and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Why does it feel like so many Cincinnati restaurants close?
July 17, 2026
WLWT and the Cincinnati Enquirer cited UC research in reports on recent restaurant closures in the city.