US: First coronavirus vaccine trials begin in humans

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - The first clinical trials for a novel coronavirus vaccine have begun with human test subjects, the National Institutes of Health announced Monday.

The study is being run at Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute in Seattle, Washington with funding from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), the institutes said in a lengthy statement.

In all, 45 healthy adults aged between 18 and 55 years old will take part in the test which are expected to run roughly six weeks.

The first participant received the vaccine, which is being called "investigational" at this point in the study, on Monday.

The vaccine, known as mRNA-1273, seeks to trigger a robust immune system response, and has already "shown promise" in animal models, according to the NIH.

“Finding a safe and effective vaccine to prevent infection with SARS-CoV-2 is an urgent public health priority,” said NIAID Director Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., referring to the coronavirus. “This Phase 1 study, launched in record speed, is an important first step toward achieving that goal.”

The U.S. death toll from the virus has climbed to 69, while the number of total confirmed cases is around 3,800, according to Johns Hopkins University in Maryland.

President Donald Trump declared a national emergency Friday in an attempt to thwart the virus' spread in the U.S.

Worldwide, the World Health Organization has registered about 165,000 cases with the global death total just shy of 6,500.