US health officials said the first human trial for a possible vaccine for coronavirus disease or COVID-19 commenced in Seattle.
Though the news is a welcome development, the vaccine may become available a year or 18 months later, as it yet to undergo more trial phases to prove its efficacy.
READ ALSO: WHO: Anti-novel coronavirus vaccine ready in 18 months
AFP reported that the vaccine called mRNA-1273 was being developed by scientists at US National Institutes of Health (NIH) in collaboration with biotechnology company Moderna based in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
“The open-label trial will enroll 45 healthy adult volunteers ages 18 to 55 years over approximately 6 weeks,” the NIH said.
“The first participant received the investigational vaccine today.”
According to an AFP report, the Seattle trial will study the impact of different doses injected in the upper arm through intramuscular injection, with participants monitored for side-effects such as soreness or fever.
The funding for the vaccine is provided by the Oslo-based Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI).
The mRNA-1273 is one of the vaccines being developed by various scientists and pharmaceutical laboratories around the world to fight the dreaded coronavirus.
COVID-19 has infected more than 186,000 people in the world and claimed more than 7,000 lives.
