Ferrets will reveal if virus vaccines work

FERRETS at a high-security Victorian lab will determine whether two potential coronavirus vaccines can proceed to human trials within months.

CSIRO scientists will test the vaccines to find out whether they are effective and safe enough to test on humans.

If all goes well with the ferrets, phase-one human trials could begin later this month.

But a vaccine won’t be widely available until the end of the year at the earliest.

“The end of the year would be an optimist’s view. Early health and biosecurity Rob Grenfell (pictured) said yesterday.

CSIRO will check the candidates that were developed by the University of Oxford and were vaccinated a few days ago. They seem relatively well so far apart from slight fevers.

“Eventually we will challenge the ferrets – we’ll inoculate them with some of the virus and see how they compare to unvaccinated controls,” said Trevor Drew of the Australian Animal Health Laboratory.

If the vaccines are effective, immunised animals should no longer be spreading the virus. Scientists will look for any sign the ferrets’ health is worsening.

“When cells of the immune system see an infected cell, they tell it to kill itself. This can cause overt damage ... if there

The work the scientists are doing would usually take a couple of years. But the urgency means everything is being done at breakneck speed.

Several rounds of human trials will be required.

The vaccines are among six to be tested around the world.

They were identified by Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations and the World Health Organisation as the most promising solutions to a virus that has infected more than 900,000 people and killed at least 45,000 globally.

Dr Grenfell said the world was seeing unprecedented cooperation among scientists