Experimental Covid-19 vaccine put to its biggest test in the US
30,000 Americans roll up their sleeves to receive shots created by the government
The biggest test yet of an experimental Covid-19 vaccine got underway Monday with the first of some 30,000 Americans rolling up their sleeves to receive shots created by the US. government as part of the all-out global race to stop the pandemic.
The glimmer of hope came even as Google, in one of the gloomiest assessments of the coronavirus’s staying power from a major employer, decreed that most of its 200,000 employees and contractors should work from home through next June _ a decision that could influence other big companies.
Final-stage testing of the vaccine, developed by the National Institutes of Health and Moderna Inc., began with volunteers at numerous sites around the US. given either a real dose or a dummy without being told which.
It will be months before results trickle in, and there is no guarantee the vaccine will ultimately work against the scourge that has killed over 650,000 people around the world, including almost 150,000 in the US.
“We’ve been sitting on the sidelines passively attempting to wear our masks and social distance and not go out
This is a significant milestone...Yes, we’re gong fast, but no, we are not going to compromise.” Francis Collins | NHS Director
when it’s not necessary. This is the first step of becoming active against this,” said Dr. Frank Eder of Meridian Clinical Research, the company that runs the Binghamton trial site. “There’s really no other way to get past this.”
Scientists set speed records getting a made-from-scratch vaccine into massive testing just months after the coronavirus emerged. But they stressed that the public shouldn’t fear that anyone is cutting corners.
“This is a significant milestone,” NIH Director Francis Collins said after the very first test injection was given, at 6.45am in Savannah, Georgia. “Yes, we’re going fast, but no, we are not going to compromise” on proving whether the vaccine is safe and effective.
“We are focusing on speed because every day matters,” added Stephane Bancel, CEO of Massachusetts-based Moderna.
After volunteers get two doses a month apart, scientists will closely track which group experiences more infections as they go about their daily routines, especially in areas where the virus is spreading.