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-Editorial
The first coronavirus vaccine to be tested in the U.S. boosted the immune systems of the study’s participants and is being hailed a major step in the right direction towards eradicating COVID-19.
The development of a vaccine has been the wish for many people around the world in order to return to normal and control a virus that has affected their lives.
The study is evaluating different doses of the experimental vaccine for safety and its ability to induce an immune response in participants. This is the first of multiple steps in the clinical trial process for evaluating the potential benefit of the vaccine.
The vaccine is called mRNA-1273 and was developed by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases scientists and their collaborators at the biotechnology company Moderna, Inc., based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) supported the manufacturing of the vaccine candidate for the Phase 1 clinical trial.
“Finding a safe and effective vaccine to prevent infection with SARS-CoV-2 is an urgent public health priority,” said NIAID Director Anthony S. Fauci, M.D. “This Phase 1 study, launched in record speed, is an important first step toward achieving that goal.”
Those participants developed neutralizing antibodies in their bloodstream — which help block infection — at levels similar to those found in people who survived COVID-19.
The vaccine will be tested in a 30,000-person study that begins on July 27 to prove if it’s strong enough to be effective against the virus.