Coronavirus vaccine test begins: US volunteer gets 1st shot

[LiberalArkie]

SEATTLE (AP) — U.S. researchers gave the first shot to the first person in a test of an experimental coronavirus vaccine Monday -- leading off a worldwide hunt for protection even as the pandemic surges.

With a careful jab in a healthy volunteer’s arm, scientists at the Kaiser Permanente Washington Research Institute in Seattle begin an anxiously awaited first-stage study of a potential COVID-19 vaccine developed in record time after the new virus exploded from China and fanned across the globe.

“We’re team coronavirus now,” Kaiser Permanente study leader Dr. Lisa Jackson said on the eve of the experiment. “Everyone wants to do what they can in this emergency.”

The Associated Press observed as the study’s first participant, an operations manager at a small tech company, received the injection inside an exam room. Several others were next in line for a test that will ultimately give 45 volunteers two doses, a month apart.

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https://www.oregonlive.com/coronavirus/2020/03/coronavirus-vaccine-test-begins-us-volunteer-gets-1st-shot.html

[Proud Liberal Dem]

1. Best wishes with this

I know it won't be available widespread for awhile but any sign of progress would be welcome right now IMHO

[Withywindle]

2. True heroes

Those volunteers deserve a medal.

[hlthe2b]

3. This is a Phase I safety trial. Phase II efficacy trials will follow. Don't be mislead by thinking

this will shortcut all that much, though I'm fairly surprised that they are foregoing any and all studies in an animal model. Seems humans are going to be the safety guinea pigs.

More on it and some of the other therapeutics in testing:
https://www.biospace.com/article/moderna-s-covid-19-vaccine-clinical-trial-starts-today/

[GopherGal]

4. They might know too little to have a good animal model

that's the problem.

They don't say much about it in the article, but sometimes they do these as dose escalation studies, where the earliest patients get the low dose, and if there are no side effects seen, they gradually increase the dose for later cohorts.

[Niagara]

5. Fingers crossed

[Claritie Pixie]

6. Go team go! Here's hoping Phase I shows the vaccine is tolerable to humans.

If it is, they'll do efficacy trials with a lot more people.

If all goes smoothly, we're looking 1 1/2 to 2 years before it can be given to the public.