First COVID vaccine set to begin final testing in the United States

The first COVID-19 vaccine is poised to begin final testing in the U.S.

The vaccine revved up immune systems just as scientists hoped. According to Dr. Anthony Fauci, the U.S. government’s top infectious disease expert, “No matter how you slice this, this is good news.”

This vaccine will start its most important step on July 27th. This will be a 30,000 person study to prove the vaccine’s strength against the virus. The first volunteers who had the vaccine back in March provided anxiously awaited results of an immune boost, just as hoped for. Their bodies developed neutralizing antibodies which are key molecules in blocking the COVID-19 infection.

While there is no guarantee, the government hopes to have results around the end of the year. This will be a record breaking speed for developing a vaccine. This particular vaccine requires two doses, one month apart. There were no serious side effects.

More than half the participants of the study reported mild fatigue, headache, chills, pain at infection site…however these are common side effects for many vaccinations. The effects resolved within 1-2 days. Doctors at the forefront of the race for a vaccine are hopeful this one will be safe and effective by the beginning of 2021. This will depend on everything working on schedule.

Nearly two dozen possible vaccines are currently in trials. Candidates from China and Britain are also entering the final testing stages. To obtain effective immunity throughout the world, multiple vaccines are required.

Around the world, governments are investing in stockpiles of hundreds of millions of doses of different vaccine candidates to prepare.