COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate Now in Final Phase Testing

In early trials, the vaccine boosted the immune system in ways expected to be protective
man getting vaccine
man getting vaccine

MONDAY, July 27, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- A vaccine developed by the U.S. National Institutes of Health and Moderna has entered the final phase of testing, the Associated Press reported Monday.

To see if the vaccine will protect people from the virus, 30,000 volunteers will randomly receive the two doses of the vaccine or a placebo. The participants will be followed to see which group gets infected. According to Moderna, vaccination has been tried out in Savannah, Georgia, and will be given in more than 80 sites around the country. This vaccine is only one of many under development worldwide. Other trials are underway in China and Britain, and final tests have started in Brazil and other countries.

In early trials, the vaccine boosted the immune system in ways expected to be protective. Some side effects, such as a brief fever, chills, and pain at the injection site, were seen. If the vaccine passes the test, it will be months before it can reach the general public. The first doses will most likely be given to people at highest risk from the virus, the AP said.

"We're optimistic, cautiously optimistic" that the vaccine will work and that "toward the end of the year" data will prove it, Stephen Hoge, M.D., president of Massachusetts-based Moderna, told a House subcommittee last week, the AP reported.

AP News Article

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