Possible COVID-19 vaccine passes critical first test

COVID-19. Image: CDC

CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts, July 14, 2020 (Gephardt Daily) — A possible COVID-19 vaccine being developed by the Cambridge, Massachusetts-based biotech company Moderna — along with the National Institutes of Health — is reporting promising early results from a critical Phase 1 study.

According to an article published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the vaccine generated immunological responses in 100% of the volunteers it was tested on.

The study also determined that the potential vaccine triggered mild side effects, including chills, headaches, fatigue and muscle pain, but none considered serious enough to prohibit further testing.

The possible vaccine still has major hurdles to clear before being approved for distribution. Medical experts say while the early results are encouraging, there’s no proof yet it is actually effective in stopping the spread of COVID-19.

Moderna issued a press release Tuesday saying the company “remains on track to be able to deliver approximately 500 million doses per year and, possibly up to a billion doses per year, beginning in 2021.”

Moderna’s stock price jumped more than 16% in after-hours trading after Tuesday’s announcement.

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