Covid vaccine to be tried on 30,000 people in US

A woman in the US is given the first shot in the clinical trial of a potential vaccine for the COVID-19 coronavirus by a pharmacist.

A woman in the US is given the first shot in the clinical trial of a potential vaccine for the COVID-19 coronavirus by a pharmacist. Source: AAP

A vaccine tested on 45 people in the United States has provoked a hoped-for immune response among the participants. The research team found volunteers developed what are called neutralising antibodies in their bloodstream -the molecules active in blocking infection - at levels comparable to those found in people who have survived COVID-19.


In the United States, there are 3.4 million confirmed cases and there have been 138,000 deaths.

Doctor William Schaffner, from Vanderbilt University Medical Centre, says the early results are promising.

"It's a good first step. It looks as though the vaccine generated a vigorous immune response. We like that. We think that's going to be associated with protection. A couple of notes: this is a two-dose vaccine. And there were some people who had sore arms and a little bit of fever and some fatigue, et cetera. (A) Small price to pay for protection against COVID, I would think. So there's nothing there that would inhibit us from going on to larger trials. And they're currently underway."

The vaccine will now be tested on 30,000 people.

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