U.S. researchers have given the first shot to the first person in an experimental test of a coronavirus vaccine Monday, initiating a worldwide journey for preservation even as the pandemic surges.
With a sensible insertion into a healthy volunteer’s arm, scientists at the Kaiser Permanente Washington Research Institute in Seattle commence an anxiously awaited first-stage investigation of a potential COVID-19 vaccine.
The injection has been formulated in record time after the recent virus erupted from China and spread across the world.
‘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.’
‘We all feel so helpless. This is an amazing opportunity for me to do something,’ Jennifer Haller, 43, of Seattle, said as she awaited the shot.
She’s the mother of two teenagers and ‘they think it’s cool’ that she’s taking part in the study.
Three others were next in line for a test that will ultimately give 45 volunteers two doses, a month apart.
After the injection, she left the exam room with a big smile: ‘I’m feeling great’ this positive mother asserted as she became the first person in the US to get injected with experimental coronavirus vaccine – even though it won’t be available for at least a year
Still, Monday’s milestone marked just the beginning of a series of analyses in people required to prove whether the shots are safe and will work.
Even if the study goes well, a vaccine will not be available for widespread use for 12 to 18 months, said Dr. Anthony Fauci of the U.S. National Institutes of Health.
Experimental COVID-19 vaccine test begins as U.S. volunteer receives first shot https://t.co/xpBVudj30u pic.twitter.com/KSAfOSEEOv
— TIME (@TIME) March 16, 2020
"I'm up for it!"
— The Beat with Ari Melber on MSNBC (@TheBeatWithAri) March 16, 2020
Jennifer Haller, the first COVID-19 vaccine volunteer, tells @AriMelber she is ready for the "unknown" and potential risks with the coronavirus vaccine. https://t.co/ktwh890ogn pic.twitter.com/v0hlVxQlFW
