After announcing that it would begin the ‘Coronavirus Vaccine’ trials the U.S. executed the same on Monday. The COVID-19 which has jolted the world and has forced ‘National Emergency’ in the U.S. has killed thousands so far. Amidst this, all ‘Seattle’ was the center of action for the trials on Monday.
The COVID-19 vaccine named mRNA-1273 is developed by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) and biotechnology company Moderna. The vaccine would be administered to 45 healthy adult volunteers ages 18 to 55 years. The administration of the vaccine would be done for a period of around 6 weeks. The first volunteer received the investigational vaccine on Monday. She is a 43 years old lady named Jennifer Haller.
However, the U.S health officials made it clear that it may take another year to 18 months before it becomes available. The vaccine would be available once it would pass more trial phases to prove it works and is safe.
Also Read: Nirbhaya Case Convicts Move To ‘International Court Of Justice’ To Stop Their Execution
Science Behind The Vaccine
As per scientists and researchers, Coronaviruses are spherical in shape. Their surface has spikes protruding out of it. This gives the virus a crown-like appearance. These spikes bind to human cells, allowing the virus to gain entry into the human body.
The vaccine that is being tested carries the genetic information of this spike in a substance called “messenger RNA.” Injecting human tissue with the spike’s messenger RNA makes it grow inside the body. This elicits the immune response without being actually infected with the full-blown virus.
A Vaccine In Final Stages Of Trials
As Pharmaceuticals and research labs around the world are in a race to make the vaccine one of them is in the final stages. An antiviral treatment called remdesivir, made by US-based Gilead Sciences, is already in the final stages of clinical trials. Remdesivir has shown proven efficacy as per doctors in China and other Asian countries.
US pharma companies like Inovio and Regeneron are also in the process of trials with trials to be conducted soon. Amidst the panic, a recent estimate shows that the death rate of COVID-19 is within 2% to 4%.
