The first coronavirus vaccine to be tested in the US boosted the study participants’ immune systems and is being hailed as an important step in the right direction to eradicate COVID-19.
“No matter how this is cut, this is good news,” Dr. Anthony Fauci told The Associated Press.
The vaccine, which was developed by researchers at the National Institutes of Health and Moderna Inc., will be tested in a study of 30,000 people beginning July 27 to test whether it is strong enough to be effective against the virus, Fox reported. 5.
This is the largest COVID-19 study of its kind so far. The researchers reported the good news from their original data, which was taken from 45 volunteers who rolled up their sleeves in March, to serve as initial test subjects.
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Those participants developed neutralizing antibodies in their bloodstream, which help block the infection, at levels similar to those found in people who survived COVID-19, according to the research team’s report in the New England Journal of Medicine.
“This is an essential element that is needed to move forward with trials that could really determine if the vaccine protects against infection,” said study principal investigator Dr. Lisa Jackson of the Kaiser Permanente Washington Research Institute in Seattle.
The federal government hopes to have results of the study of 30,000 people by the end of this year, which would represent an accelerated completion, given that the initial estimate of the vaccine was 18 months when it was announced in February.
The vaccine was administered in two doses, each one month apart. There were no serious side effects. However, more than half of the study participants complained of flu-like reactions to the vaccines, which were considered common and did not last long, according to Fox 5.
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Almost two dozen possible vaccines are in various stages of development and testing worldwide. The vaccines being carried out by China and Britain’s Oxford University are reportedly about to enter their final stages of testing.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
