As COVID-19 engulfs the world, vaccine trials move into top gear

The press is giving the people a shot by shot account of coronavirus vaccine research and whoever makes the vaccine may end up making a world record because usually it takes years to develop a vaccine.

Now the aim is it should be in the marketin a matter of months. Moderna, a biotech company in the US has undertaken the biggest test on experimental vaccine which is being developed by America’s National Institutes of Health.

Inside the lab, scientists wrap themselves in a protective gearworking with samples of the Wuhan virus with biosecurity high inside such facilities. The hunt for a vaccine has never been so closely tracked by the world, not only can itsave lives, it could even pull the world out of the waves of lockdowns and social isolation.

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Melissa Harting from New York took a jab, she has to give her blood samples too. In the coming days, scientists will study if the vaccine can generate an immune response against the Wuhan virus. The vaccine candidate has to work on a large number of people before it can be declared effective.

"Once we introduce this into a large group of people, we can truly see the efficacy of the vaccine as well as the safety of the vaccine and once we get past this trial, we can move into the general public and actually mass produceand having it given to the population," Dr Frank Eder from the Meridian clinical research, said.

The United States is not the only country doing large scale testing. South Africa and Brazil are two other countries that are witnessing large scale efficacy trials. It is the third stage of a vaccine trial where thousands of people are given shots so that scientists can learn more about the safety of the vaccineas well as the correct dosage.

In Sao Paulo, Doctor Monica Levi volunteered for the shot, she is a participant in a trial to test the vaccine developed at the Oxford University which is one of the most promising vaccine candidates in the world right now.

Dr Levi developed some minor side effects after she was administered the dose.

"After getting the COVID-19 vaccine, I got a headache for a day and a half more or less, sometimes a bit of a non-specific malaise, a bit of a chill. I didn't have a fever, but I was taking a high dose of tylenol, which is a gram every 6 hours, and I think it kept me from having a fever," Dr Levi said.

This is what the scientists are hoping to avoid with the final version of a vaccine while several candidates are being tested around the world right now, experts do not expect a vaccine to arrive before early 2021.