Potential COVID-19 Vaccine Announced

On St, Patrick’s Day, Tuesday, March 16 in Washington D.C., USA, The United States National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced the application of the first test-stage vaccine against Covid-19, developed by a team at Moderna Laboratories. This Phase 1 news of the study began on January 13 after the coronavirus strain first appeared in the Chinese city of Wuhan last December, reported the Massachusetts-based firm.

After sequencing, the next phase took 25 days enough to prepare the first batch of mRNA-1273, and followed by the review of tests, which the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) completed on March 4. The vaccine application in humans is still in the experimental stage. This phase was the one that began in order to corroborate its safety, as well as the ability of the vaccine to induce an immune response in the participants, Moderna explained in a statement. Although the first application was made on Monday, March 15, the test vaccine was given to 45 healthy adult volunteers between 18 and 45 years of age over a period of six months.

The potential vaccine was developed on the mRNA platform, in which Phase 1 vaccines have been developed over the past four years against five respiratory viruses, including two influenza strains, for a total of nine clinical trials. Moderna said that it is still in the early stages, with its Phase 2 CMV vaccine program, for which approval has not yet been received. Phase 2 will follow the first application of the potential vaccine for Moderna Laboratories, intends to work jointly with the FDA and non-governmental organizations, including a large number of volunteers.

The labs indicated that Phase Two could start in “a few months,” adding that they intend to speed up work and reach production of millions of doses if mRNA 1273, if it is proven to be safe and effective. For its part, the BBC quoted infectious disease expert John Tregoning from Imperial College, who said that this vaccine uses high-standard pre-existing technology, with elements known for their safety and closely monitored individuals.

He recognized that this is research that has been carried out very quickly, but it is a race against time and not against other scientists, but for the benefit of humanity.