US performs first human coronavirus vaccine test

While most people are doing home office or taking classes over the internet, the medical and scientific community remains inside the labs to develop a vaccine for the new coronavirus. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the United States announced on Monday that the first tests of a possible vaccine are already being carried out in humans.

The initial objective is to verify that the formula is safe for people's health. Only after this first phase will other studies prove whether it really works. Given the urgency of the situation, the vaccine has not been tested on animals before . 

The vaccine is being developed by the company Moderna Therapeutics, which has been studying the new coronavirus since January, when the first cases began to emerge in Asia. The vaccine was developed in record time: 42 days after China announced the virus. This was only possible because scientists already knew the relatives of the new parasite: the coronaviruses SARS and MERS.

But don't go on thinking that the vaccine is the lifeline of the pandemic. Although the tests have already started, they are only the first in a series of procedures. The vaccine, if it works, should only be available to the public at least a year from now. Until then, what will decide whether the virus will spread or not are the individual actions and preventive measures adopted by the countries.

The American city chosen for the first test was Seattle. It is in the state of Washington, one of the most affected in the United States, with almost 1,000 confirmed cases. Initially, 45 healthy people between 18 and 55 years old receive a first dose of the vaccine. They should receive their second dose in 28 days.

The researchers are testing three different doses - each in a group of 15 people. Four participants received the vaccine on Monday (16) and another four received it on Tuesday (17). The other 37 are due soon.

In total, participants must be observed for one year. However, the director of Moderna Therapeutics said in an interview that she should apply to the Food and Drug Administration (Anvisa American) to continue with the next tests in a few weeks, as soon as the first results on the safety of the vaccine come out. The second round of testing already measures both safety and effectiveness. It should be done with an even greater number of people.

It is good to remember that other companies are also in the race for the vaccine, but this was the first to arrive in the human testing phase. In a scenario of economic collapse, Moderna Therapeutics is doing well: shares rose 24% this Monday alone.