Posted: Jul 28, 2020 \/ 06:00 PM EDT \/ Updated: Jul 28, 2020 \/ 06:00 PM EDT<\/p>\n
(WSYR-TV) Hopes are high for a coronavirus vaccine early in the new year. Whether that happens depends on testing being done right now.<\/p>\n
In fact, 27 vaccines are being tested on people right now.<\/p>\n
The largest study took a huge step forward this week when the experimental shot was given to the first of 30,000 people at 89 sites around the country.<\/p>\n
Half of the people will receive two shots of the vaccine, 28 days apart, and half will receive two shots of a saltwater placebo. Neither the volunteers nor the medical staff giving the injections will know who is getting the real vaccine.<\/p>\n
Researchers will then monitor the subjects, looking for side effects and waiting to see if significantly fewer vaccinated people get COVID-19, indicating that the vaccine works.<\/p>\n
The main goal is to determine whether the vaccine can prevent the illness. <\/p>\n
The study will also try to find out if it can prevent severe COVID-19 and death, if it can prevent infection entirely based on lab tests and if just one shot can prevent the illness.<\/p>\n
The full enrollment of 30,000 people in the trial is expected to be completed by the end of the summer and results might be available by November.<\/p>\n
At least three more so-called Phase Three trials will be starting soon, each also needing 30,000 patients.<\/p>\n
A second company, Pfizer, announced late Monday afternoon that it had also begun a late-stage study of a coronavirus vaccine.<\/p>\n
The first subjects in that study received injections at the University of Rochester on Monday.<\/p>\n
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Family Healthcast: Progress being made toward COVID-19 vaccine - WSYR<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Posted: Jul 28, 2020 \/ 06:00 PM EDT \/ Updated: Jul 28, 2020 \/ 06:00 PM EDT (WSYR-TV) Hopes are high for a coronavirus vaccine early in the new year. Whether that happens depends on testing being done right now. Continue reading