Coronavirus Vaccine Trial Testing Begins in US, First Dose to be Given to Person in Seattle

Washinton, March 16: In a major breakthrough in the fight against coronavirus or COVID-19, the US's National Institutes of Health, in collaboration with Moderna Inc, is ready to give an experimental dose to the first participant in a clinical trial for a vaccine, a report said on Monday. The participant will receive the dose at the Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute in Seattle where the trial is taking place. Coronavirus Vaccine Will Take Nearly 2 Years, Says ICMR; Health Ministry Lists Measures to Contain Outbreak.

Speaking to Associated Press, health officials said it will take a year to 18 months to develop a potential vaccine for coronavirus infections. During the clinical trial funded by the NIH, 45 young healthy volunteers will be given different doses of shots. Since the participants have not tested positive for coronavirus, there is no chance they could get infected from the shots, Associated Press reported. Coronavirus Live Map: Track The Spread of COVID-19 Across The Globe.

The intent behind the clinical test is purely to check that the vaccines show no worrisome side effects, thus clearing decks for larger tests. Several research groups around the world are racing to develop a vaccine as COVID-19 cases continue to grow. Some researchers even aim for temporary vaccines, such as shots that might guard people's health a month or two at a time while longer-lasting protection is developed.

The global coronavirus outbreak has sickened more than 156,000 people and left more than 5,800 dead around the world. The death toll in the United States is more than 50, while infections neared 3,000. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the outbreak pandemic.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 16, 2020 08:35 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).