First Batch of Coronavirus Vaccines Sent for Human Testing
Biotech company Moderna, based out of Massachusetts, has shipped its first batches of the COVID-19 vaccine for testing to the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
According to Fox News, the vaccine will be tested on a group of 45 young, healthy human volunteers at the Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute in Seattle. Volunteers cannot be infected from the shots, and the purpose of the trial is to ensure that no worrisome side effects emerge.
The company originally believed it would start testing in April, but recent discoveries made from Chinese scientists encouraged a faster turn-around time.
“The speed with which we have [produced these candidates] builds very much on the investment in understanding how to develop vaccines for other coronaviruses,” said Richard Hatchett, CEO of a Norwegian-based company developing a COVID-19 vaccine.
