The final test of the world’s largest COVID-19 vaccine study was launched Monday, with the first of 30,000 US participants beginning to test the experimental immunization developed by the National Institutes of Health and Modern, Inc.
Savannah, Georgia, was the first test site to be launched among more than several dozen across the country, according to Moderna.
Volunteers across the country will not know if they are receiving the actual vaccine or a dummy version. After two doses of the injection, the researchers will closely monitor which group experiences more infections as they continue with their daily routines, especially in areas of the country where the virus is emerging.
Several other vaccines, made by China and the United Kingdom, started smaller tests at the final stage in heavily affected countries, including Brazil, earlier this month. But all vaccines that could be used in the US must be tested on American soil.
Now, every month through fall, the government-funded COVID-19 Prevention Network will launch a new study of a leading candidate, each with 30,000 new volunteers.
Studies are necessary not only to assess if the shots work, but also to assess their safety.
Scientists will follow the same study rules for each trial, which will allow scientists to ultimately compare each vaccine.
Jennifer Haller, a Seattle mother of two and the first healthy person to receive the experimental NIH vaccine in March, said participating in the trial “has given me the feeling I’m doing something.”
Since his vaccination in March, he has been wearing a mask in public and taking the same recommended distance precautions for all members of the public.
“I don’t know what the chances are that this is the right vaccine,” he said. “But thank God there are so many others fighting this right now.”
In August, the final study of a vaccine from the University of Oxford in the UK will begin. There are also plans to evaluate candidates for Johnson & Johnson and Novavax in September and October, respectively.
Pfizer Inc. plans to conduct its own study of 30,000 people over the summer.
With posts
.
