Washington, June 13: Moderna Inc, the leading pharmaceutical company of the United States which is expected to release COVID-19 vaccine by early 2021, succeeded in clearing yet another hurdle. The concern on vaccine safety was addressed in the latest study undertaken on mouse. Not only was the potential vaccine found to be effective, but it also did not lead to any major side-effects. COVID-19 Vaccine: As Per Moderna Estimate, Less Than 13% of Global Population Can be Vaccinated by 2021-End.

The findings, released by the US National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID), shows that a group of mice which were vaccinated and then subjected to the coronavirus, did not contract the infection. Further, the mouse involved in the study were found not to be probe to any major health risks.

One of the intriguing aspect of the animal study was that the mouse were subjected to one or two doses of the vaccine, along with some who were injected inadequately. The results revealed that even those injected with inadequate amount of the dose, succeeded in developing immunity against coronavirus.

The scientists involved in the research told Reuters that the cells inside mouse body prevented the virus from multiplying. The lungs and noses of the mice were also immune to the infection, they claimed.

Details of the study would be handed over a top-tier medical journal for peer review. Only after a critical assessment, the findings would be released in public domain, said officials privy to the research.

Moderna, on Thursday, announced that it would be initiating the final phase of trials on around 30,000 human volunteers in July. The trials would also be undertaken in Brazil, where the infection rate is higher than the US. If the vaccine development remains on track, the company is hopeful of releasing upto 50 million doses of the vaccine in early 2021.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 13, 2020 05:17 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).