Category: Covid-19 Vaccine

It was the Chinese philosopher Sun Tzu, and not Al Pacino in The Godfather Part 2, who first said, Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer. Yin Weidong, the CEO of Chinese biotech firm SinoVac, seems to have taken that advice to heart.

On the desk in his office in Beijing are two plastic models of a viruseach blue core surrounded by red protein spikes. From the time it started spreading in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late December, containing that virus has occupied virtually every waking moment for the scientist.

The pandemic we now know as COVID-19 is rampaging across every continent. On the dozens of daily infection charts, broken down by nation and pasted floor to ceiling on Yins office wall, the numbers tell a horrifying story: 16 million infections and 640,000 deaths worldwide, including 146,000 American lives lost as of Monday.

But if the enemy is close, so is a possible new friend. Yins desk is now also home to several small glass vials of SinoVacs COVID-19 vaccinedubbed CoronaVacthat began phase 3 trials involving 9,000 volunteers in Brazil last week. (A phase 1 trial involves small groups of patients to check a vaccine for negative side effects, and a phase two trial usually tests for a combination of safety and efficacy, while a phase 3 trial is like a phase 2 but involving many more participants.)

Looking at the data collected, I think we have more than an 80% chance of success, says Yin.

Normally, getting from pathogen identification through phase 3 trials in about 10 years is considered quick. The mumps vaccine is generally considered the fastest ever developed at four years. But if all goes well, CoronaVac might be ready for regulatory approval early next year. Not that Yin is satisfied.

Do you really think this is fast? Compared with the spread of the virus, its not fast enough, he says, holding his plastic nemesis aloft with grudging respect. That is how we should measure our progress.

During the 2002 to 2003 SARS outbreak, which claimed over 774 lives worldwide, SinoVac was the only firm to go into phase 1 vaccine trials, but the pandemic suddenly disappeared. That meant that research was discontinued at a huge loss for the firm. It wasnt entirely wasted, however. Now, 17 years later, SinoVac is able to build on that earlier work, given that COVID-19 is very similar to SARS. It and coronavirus are like brothers, says Yin.

Still, creating an effective vaccine is just a third of the battle. The other two prongs of vaccine development are production capacity and getting regulatory approval. At present, every nations FDA equivalent would need to approve CoronaVac independently, though given the unprecedented need, there are conversations about streamlining.

The virus doesnt require a passport but the vaccine needs to be licensed by every country, says Yin.

SinoVac CEO Yin Weidong in his Beijing office on Tuesday, July 21, 2020.

Charlie Campbell

SinoVac is aiming to triple current capacity to produce 300 million doses per year. That might sound impressive, but accessibility is likely to be a big issue. Given that at least two doses will be required to immunize one person, it would still take almost a decade to vaccinate every person in China alone, never mind sharing the vaccine with the worlds 7.6 billion people.

If only one or two countries get protected this wont solve the problem and get economic activity back to normal Yin says.

SinoVac isnt the only company with a potential vaccine in clinical evaluation. There are over 20 companies around the world engaged in the task with more than 130 vaccines in development, according to the WHO. But given the scale of the need, theres going to be no quick fix to the pandemic.

Another vaccine candidate, developed by U.S. biotech firm Moderna with the National Institutes of Health, provoked the desired immune response in a test of 45 individuals, and is about to enter phase 3 trials. It functions by introducing an mRNA sequencea molecule that tells cells what to buildcoded for a disease-specific antigen. Once produced within the body, the antigen is logged by the immune system, empowering it to fight the real virus.

But while such RNA vaccines, as theyre known, have multiple benefitsincluding speed of productionthey must be stored at sub-zero temperatures. That means their distribution to far-flung populations is problematic. While SinoVac initially experimented with RNA and other vaccine prototypes, they found that a traditional inactivated virus vaccine produced the best results. Under normal conditions, Yin believes CoronaVac has a shelf life of three years.

The purpose of this work is not to discover which technology is better, says Yin. The purpose is to control the disease.

In principle, SinoVac is a private company that owns CoronaVac as its licensed intellectual property, meaning where the vaccine is distributed should be a purely commercial decision. However, the Chinese government has contributed to the estimated one billion renminbi (about $140 million) the firm is investing in CoronaVac. This and other contributions from international NGOs currently under negotiation all come with distribution commitments attached.

In a speech to the World Health Assembly on May 18, Chinese President Xi Jinping promised to make a COVID-19 vaccine produced in China a global public good. In reality, of course, every queue has someone at the back, meaning there will be much jostling for priorityand potentially boosting Beijings global clout.

According to Benjamin N. Gedan, a former regional director on the White Houses National Security Council now with the Wilson Center, If China produces the first coronavirus vaccine at scale, it would be an extraordinary diplomatic tool anywhere in the world.

SinoVac has already committed to sharing 60-100 million doses in Brazil through a collaboration with So Paulo-based Instituto Butantan, which is performing the phase 3 study. In Asia, the firm is actively in discussion with several countries, says Yin, including Indonesia and Turkey, and is exploring options in Europe. It has also had more than 30 meetings with the WHO to update the global health body on its progress.

We will share our vaccine with the world, says Yin.

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Write to Charlie Campbell at charlie.campbell@time.com.

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We Will Share Our Vaccine with the World. Inside the Chinese Biotech Firm Leading the Fight Against COVID-19 - TIME

EXCLUSIVE: The search for a vaccine for COVID-19 is one of the biggest news stories around the world right now. HBO is turning this hunt into a limited series with Succession exec producer Adam McKay.

Deadline understands that the premium cable network has optioned The First Shot, a non-fiction narrative book by The Atlantic and New York Times writer Brendan Borrell.

McKays Hyperobject Industries will produce the Untitled Vaccine Project and he will exec produce alongside Todd Schulman and Borrell.

The book, which was sold at auction to publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for Sugar23 Books, tells the story of the global coronavirus vaccine race. It will explore the companies and individuals putting everything on the line to save lives, the science that it is based on, and the challenges playing out around politics, access, and safety.

Borrell has been closely covering the vaccine search, writing pieces including The Dire Diplomacy of the Global Race for a Vaccine for Wired and articles for National Geographic magazine and Science Magazine. His other work includes coverage of rare genetic diseases for NYT and Australias flesh-eating bacteria problem for The Atlantic.

McKay has been busy since launching Hyperobject Industries last year and striking a five-year, first-look television deal with HBO in October. His first project under the deal was set as a limited series based on Miami Herald investigative reporter Julie K. Browns upcoming book aboutJeffrey Epstein.

His LA Lakers drama project, previously known as Showtime, and based on Jeff Pearlmans non-fiction book Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s, was ordered to series in December with John C. Reilly as Jerry Buss.

He is also working with Bong Joon Ho to adapt Oscar-winning film Parasite into a television series, while HBO sister streamer HBO Max gave a green light to The Uninhabitable Earth,a climate change anthology series inspired by David Wallace-Wells global best-selling book and New York Magazine article, in January.

CAA represented the television sale of Borrells The First Shot on behalf of the Waxman Agency. Hyperobject Industries is represented by WME and Ziffren Brittenham.

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HBO & Adam McKay Developing Adaptation Of COVID-19 Vaccine Hunt Book The First Shot - Deadline

Pat Benatar's 1980 hit song "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" could have a very different meaning today. People around the world anxiously anticipate a new kind of "best shot" -- a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine.

There are currently 166 novel coronavirus vaccine candidates in development, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Twenty-four of those candidates are being evaluated in clinical trials in humans. Most of those are in early-stage clinical studies. However, five COVID-19 vaccine candidates are either currently in late-stage clinical testing or are scheduled to begin a phase 3 study in the next few days.

Sinopharm Groupis developing two of the five late-stage candidates, one with Wuhan Institute ofBiological Products and another with Beijing Institute of Biological Products. Another Chinese drugmaker, Sinovac Biotech, also claims a COVID-19 vaccine candidate in phase 3 testing.

AstraZeneca (NYSE:AZN) teamed up with the University of Oxford to develop COVID-19 vaccine candidate AZD1222. WHO chief scientistSoumya Swaminathan stated publicly in June that AZD1222 was "probably the leading candidate."

There's also one COVID-19 vaccine candidate developed by a U.S. biotech that will soon begin phase 3 testing.Moderna (NASDAQ:MRNA) plans to start its late-stage study of mRNA-1273 on July 27.

Which of these five late-stage COVID-19 vaccine candidates is likely to be the biggest winner? It's complicated.

Images source: Getty Images.

As you might expect, all five of the COVID-19 vaccine candidates that have made it to phase 3 performed well in previous clinical studies. Unfortunately, there's not a good way to differentiate which experimental vaccine seems to be more safe and effective than others.

Sinopharm and Sinovac reported preliminary results in June from earlier clinical studies. Sinopharm stated that all participants in phase 1/2 studies for its two late-stage vaccine candidates had neutralizing antibodies (which hold the potential for preventing infection by the novel coronavirus). Sinovac said that more than 90% of participants had neutralizing antibodies 14 days after receiving the second injection of its vaccine candidate, CoronaVac. Both Chinese drugmakers also indicated that their respective COVID-19 vaccine candidates didn't cause severe side effects.

AstraZeneca announced interim results from a phase 1/2 clinical study of AZD1222 last week. Those results, published in medical journal The Lancet, revealed that 91% of participants demonstrated neutralizing antibodies after the first injection of the vaccine candidate. All participants who received a second dose of AZD1222 produced neutralizing antibodies. In addition, the vaccine candidate induced a T-cell response in all participants, which could be key in providing longer-lasting immunity to SARS-CoV-2. AstraZeneca reported that were no severe side effects in patients receiving AZD1222.

Moderna also reported encouraging interim results from a phase 1 study of mRNA-1273 in May and followed up with more detailed data on July 14. Neutralizing antibodies and strong T-cell responses were found in all of the participants receiving two doses of the experimental vaccine. Moderna also said that "mRNA-1273 was generally safe and well-tolerated."

Image source: Getty Images.

There are other ways to get an idea of which COVID-19 vaccine candidates might be the biggest winners if they win regulatory approvals. We can evaluate the manufacturing capacity each company has. We can also look at the supply contracts the companies have in hand so far.

Sinopharm expects to be able to produce 200 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccines annually with its manufacturing facilities in Beijing and Wuhan. The company is owned by the Chinese government, so Sinopharm is assured of a large market if its vaccine candidates prove to be safe and effective in late-stage clinical studies.

Sinovac is building a manufacturing facility in China that could make up to 100 million doses of CoronaVac annually. The Chinese government is providing financial backing for this facility. The company hasn't announced any supply deals. However, it seems likely that Sinovac would win contracts in China if CoronaVac wins regulatory approval.

AstraZeneca publicly stated in June that its "total manufacturing capacity currently stands at 2 billion doses." This capacity includes collaborations with external parties to produce AZD1222. And the big pharma company so far has commitments with the U.S., the United Kingdom, and other nations and non-profit organizations to supply more than 2 billion doses of AZD1222 if it wins approval.

Moderna says that it's on track to produce around 500 million doses of mRNA-1273 per year beginning in 2021. But the biotech could boost that number to 1 billion annual doses. Moderna hasn't announced any supply agreements with the U.S. or other countries yet, but those deals will almost certainly be on the way if mRNA-1273 succeeds in late-stage testing.

There's no way to know at this point which COVID-19 vaccines will sail through phase 3 studies and which will run into problems.My view is that any late-stage candidate that proves to be safe and effective will be a big winner.

However, I think that AstraZeneca probably has the best chances of becoming the biggest winner from a commercial standpoint (assuming AZD1222 secures key regulatory approvals). Why?

The greatest commercial winners will almost certainly be the vaccines that are marketed in the U.S. and major European countries because the price tags will likely be higher in developed nations. China isn't going to pay nearly as much per dose to Sinopharm or SinoVac as AstraZeneca (and Moderna) would be able to charge for their vaccines.

AstraZeneca has more supply commitments lined up and much greater production capacity than Moderna does. In my view, that gives the big drugmaker a significant advantage. Moderna is a lot smaller than AstraZeneca, though. The biotech stock could be the biggest winner for investors if mRNA-1273 performs well in late-stage studies.

Keep in mind that other COVID-19 vaccine candidates could also advance to phase 3 testing in the near future. Some of the companies making these vaccines, especially Pfizerand BioNTech, already have large supply agreements lined up. It's quite possible that the "best shot" of all won't be any of the current late-stage candidates.

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5 Late-Stage COVID-19 Vaccines: Which Is Likely to Be the Biggest Winner? - Motley Fool

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) Its day one of the Moderna Phase 3 trial and in other parts of the country, some volunteers are already being injected.

In the next few weeks, 60,000 people, including 750 Pittsburghers, will be injected as well with either the vaccine or a placebo and then be tracked and monitored over time to see if it is effective in preventing infection from the virus.

We are hugely excited to be a part of this and be able to be able to offer it to the people of Pittsburgh to try to make a difference to try to end this a pandemic, said Dr. Judy Martin, head of UPMCs clinical trials.

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So far, 2,300 local people have volunteered and from those UPMC will pick people likely to suffer serious outcomes from the virus older people and people with underlying medical conditions such as diabetes as well as frontline workers at risk of contracting the virus.

Health professionals, bus drivers, school, teachers. Anyone who is out in the public now, she said.

But registration remains is open. UPMC is part of a nationwide effort called Operation Warp Speed to develop the first successful vaccine. Going forward it will be a test site for vaccines under development by other pharmaceutical companies.

This will be just hat we hope will be just the first of several vaccine studies so we dont want people to be discouraged if theyre not contracted, Martin said.

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Nationwide Effort To Test COVID-19 Vaccine Begins, Pittsburghers Lined Up To Participate - CBS Pittsburgh

The Environmental Protection Agencys Office of Inspector General said today it will evaluate the agencys rollback of Obama-era vehicle emissions requirements.

In May, Senator Tom Carper, a Democrat who sits on the Senate Eenvironment and public works committee, asked the inspector generals office to investigate whether EPA officials improperly circumvented the Clean Air Act, regulatory and other procedural requirements, citing documents obtained by Carpers office, Reuters reports.

The inspector generals office said it would conduct an evaluation to determine if EPA actions were consistent with requirements, including those pertaining to transparency, record-keeping and docketing, and followed the EPAs process for developing final regulatory actions.

The EPA did not immediately comment.

In March the EPA and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration finalized revised rules requiring 1.5% annual increases in fuel efficiency through 2026.Under the Obama rules, automakers were to average about 5% improvements per year through 2025.

The new requirements mean the US vehicle fleet will average 40.4 miles a gallon rather than 46.7 mpg under the Obama rules.

The administration says the new rules will result in the consumption of about 2bn additional barrels of oil and the emission of 867m to 923m additional metric tons of carbon dioxide and will cut the future price of new vehicles by about $1,000 and reduce traffic deaths.

Environmentalists dispute that the rule will reduce traffic deaths and say higher fuel costs will surpass any future new vehicle price reduction.

The inspector general wants numerous documents including briefing materials on the final rule.

Carper said the documents obtained show significant inaccuracies and technical errors in the final rule that the EPA apparently asked the transportation department to correct.

According to these documents, EPA officials believed the failure to correct those inaccuracies and errors would make the rule legally vulnerable to challenge, Carper wrote.

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Republican proposal slashes weekly unemployment benefits to $200 as it happened - The Guardian

Vaccines usually take years to develop, but as the coronavirus pandemic stretches into its fifth month in the U.S., scientists and companies all over the world are racing to find a cure to treat COVID-19 by next year.

Testing has been in the works since January, and vaccines must go through at least three phases of human trials before being approved. According to The New York Times, 27 vaccines are in various stages of human trials.

Many have argued that a vaccine will allow the economy to eventually rebound to pre-coronavirus levels. But some are concerned about the accelerated process and possible safety protocols that may be moved forward too quickly to meet the goal.

We spoke to three Texas doctors about whether they would receive the first COVID-19 vaccine. Heres what you need to know.

All three health experts said they would get the first COVID-19 vaccine, provided the data from human trials is promising.

Dr. Trish Perl, chief of infectious diseases at UT Southwestern Medical Center and an infectious-disease specialist at Parkland Health and Hospital System, said she would feel comfortable with a vaccine that shows it has a strong immune response both in a lab setting and in humans.

They actually have several candidate vaccines right now, and theyre generating an immune response, its very evident to us, Perl said.

You form antibodies, which is whats supposed to happen when we give you a vaccine, she said. But that antibody needs to be what we call neutralizing it needs to kill the virus. And thats the part of the puzzle that we need to solve right now.

Dr. Philip Huang, director of Dallas County Health and Human Services, said he would feel comfortable getting an approved COVID-19 vaccine. But he added that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will probably prioritize vaccinating certain groups, such as pregnant women and people over 65. A similar approach was taken with the H1N1 vaccine used in the swine flu epidemic in 2009.

People in high-risk groups or who frequently interact with people in high-risk groups should definitely get vaccinated, said Dr. Beth Kassanoff, an internal medicine physician with North Texas Preferred Health Partners and 2021 president-elect of the Dallas County Medical Society.

I think I would certainly get it, she said, adding that shed feel most comfortable with a vaccine that is approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Im in a high-risk group. Im immunosuppressed, and my elderly father-in-law lives with me. I think I would encourage my teenagers that live at my house, [for] us all to get it.

The experts said that while its unprecedented for a vaccine to be created in such a short period of time, the benefits will probably outweigh any risks, as long as vaccine trials are conducted responsibly.

We know that not only is it hurting people, but straining the health care system, Perl said of coronavirus. And we have a lot of people who are exposed, and its harming the economy. When you factor all of that in, it gives you a different risk profile.

In general, she said, vaccines are safe. However, she noted, the risk can vary depending on a persons circumstances. Elderly people, for example, may not have the same immune response to a vaccine as young adults.

Kassanoff said that she wouldnt hesitate to recommend vaccination for people in high-risk groups since they are more likely to experience the most severe illness. Vaccination is worthwhile provided it only yields minor side effects, such as aches or low-grade fever lasting only a few days, she said.

Typically, Im not the first person to prescribe a new medication, she said. I want to see it be around for a while before I start giving it to my patients. I think this is going to be a little bit different though, because the people who get so sick with it are the ones who already have so many health problems.

Huang said there isnt cause of worry about vaccines, provided shortcuts arent taken during development.

Health experts have said that a vaccine that skips animal trials, for example, could be dangerous. Animal trials help researchers determine whether a vaccine runs the risk of vaccine enhancement, which makes an illness worse in vaccinated individuals.

Wed have to review the processes, how they conducted the trial and evaluate them, he said. But you have to make an assumption that theyre doing it the way its supposed to be done.

As more data and information are being released on a COVID-19 vaccine, Huang said hell be looking for high efficacy rates and positive data from the safety tests. He also said the public should look at what the benefits of each treatment would be.

Wed have to wait if it only had minimal benefits but really bad side effects or something, he said. But, I mean, these are assumptions.

When evaluating a vaccine, Perl said, the public should start by looking for evidence of three things: that it works in animals, that it generates an immune response in humans, and that it can prevent infection in humans.

Its also important to consider the groups of people on which the vaccine is tested. If it is tested on healthy, young adults, that may not inspire confidence in people who are in high-risk groups.

Its also important, she said, to look at a vaccines side effects. Ideally, they would be mild or rare.

Everything has a side effect, Perl said. We know theres going to be this side effect, but we want it to be rare. Or if it has a common side effect, we want it to be mild, such as with the HPV vaccine, you have a pretty sore arm.

She said the public should also look for, and even demand, that companies follow up with vaccinated individuals to ensure no long-term side effects occur.

Health experts have said its possible that the COVID-19 vaccine will require more than one dose, and that it may not be 100% effective. But even a vaccine that behaves like the flu vaccine, which is anywhere from 40% to 60% effective each year, would still be a big step forward in battling the pandemic.

This may end up being very much like the flu vaccine where it may not be as effective as some of these other vaccines at preventing illness in the individual, but it actually may decrease shedding enough that if we get enough of the population vaccinated, then we get that herd immunity that we really need, Perl said.

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We asked 3 Texas doctors: Will you get the first COVID-19 vaccine that becomes available? - The Dallas Morning News

You won't have a very difficult time identifying ways thatJohnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) is a leader. It's the largest healthcare company in the world with a market cap of close to $400 billion. J&J ranks near the top of three different healthcare segments -- pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and consumer health.

Johnson & Johnson announced in March that it would invest more than $1 billion to develop a COVID-19 vaccine candidate. That amount is greater than the market caps earlier this year of some drugmakers that set out to develop novel coronavirus vaccines. But could giant Johnson & Johnson actually be an underdog in the COVID-19 vaccine race?

Image source: Getty Images.

Johnson & Johnson originally planned to begin phase 1/2a clinical studies for its COVID-19 vaccine candidate Ad26.COV2-S in September. However, the company announced in June that it would be able to accelerate the schedule and instead start the early stage study in late July.

This was great news. And it resulted from strong preclinical data as well as lots of discussions with regulatory agencies. So where did that put J&J in the race to begin clinical trials for a coronavirus vaccine candidate? Certainly not in first place, but maybe second or third? Fourth, perhaps? Nope.

Assuming no other drugmaker starts its clinical testing ahead of J&J, the big healthcare company will be the 25th drugmaker to initiate clinical testing in humans of a COVID-19 vaccine candidate. That's right, 24 other vaccine candidates are ahead of J&J's Ad26.COV2-S.

Some of the leaders in front of J&J are big pharma companies that quickly established partnerships to develop COVID-19 vaccines, including AstraZenecaand Pfizer. Others are smaller biotechs such asModernaand Novavax. All of them outmaneuvered the largest healthcare company in the world to advance to clinical testing sooner.

This relatively sluggish start didn't prevent Johnson & Johnson from staying in the spotlight, though. When President Trump invited seven drugmakers to the White House to discuss the threat presented by COVID-19 in March, J&J was at the table.

In June, reports surfaced that Operation Warp Speed, the federal initiative established to accelerate COVID-19 vaccine development, had selected five experimental coronavirus vaccines to support. Again, Johnson & Johnson's vaccine candidate made the cut. J&J was picked by Operation Warp Speed while some smaller companies that already had candidates in clinical testing were left out.

It's not too surprising that J&J has been favored by the White House. As already mentioned, the company is the biggest in the business. Johnson & Johnson's brand and products are household names. There are advantages to being big and famous.

Johnson & Johnson could make up lost ground pretty quickly. Chief scientific officer Paul Stoffels said in the company's Q2 conference call earlier this month that talks are already under way with the National Institute of Health to start a phase 3 study ahead of the original schedule. He added that this late-stage study could begin in late September. That would put J&J only two months behind Moderna.

The company definitely has ample resources to scale up rapidly, too. J&J is aggressively expanding its manufacturing capacity with the goal to deliver more than 1 billion doses of its COVID-19 vaccine by the end of next year.

That might not be as lucrative as it sounds. J&J has committed to selling its COVID-19 vaccine at cost during the global pandemic if it wins approval. The big healthcare stock probably wouldn't experience nearly as big of a jump as others if they win approval for their COVID-19 vaccines.

Also, many people probably don't realize how much of a relative newbie Johnson & Johnson is in the world of vaccine development. While the company has researched vaccines for years, it won its first major regulatory approval of a vaccine only a few weeks ago with European Commission approval for its Ebola vaccine.

It might be something of a stretch to view Johnson & Johnson as a true underdog in the race to develop COVID-19 vaccines. However, it's also a stretch to view the company as a leader in the race.

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Is Johnson & Johnson an Underdog in the COVID-19 Vaccine Race? - The Motley Fool

Lewis Hamilton has been forced to clarify that he is not against a vaccine for Covid-19, after inadvertently sharing an anti-vaxxer post on his Instagram account.

The 35-year-old Formula One star shared a post by internet personality King Bach which suggested Bill Gates was lying when talking about coronavirus vaccine trials.

The video clip, which Hamilton shared with his 18.3 million followers, shows a CBSN interview with Gates where he offers reassurance over potential vaccine side effects and refutes a conspiracy theory that the vaccine will be used to implant microchips in people.

The clip is captioned I remember when I told my first lie.

The post attracted criticism online, with one Twitter user saying: Sir, I applaud your climate and social activism, but please dont spread dangerous disinformation.

Hamilton has since deleted the video and published a statement saying he hadnt seen the comment attached to the clip, but wanted to show there is uncertainty around side effects of vaccines.

Ive noticed some comments on my earlier post about the coronavirus vaccine, and want to clarify my thoughts on it, as I understand why they might have been misinterpreted, he said.

Firstly I hadnt actually seen the comment attached so that is totally my fault and I have a lot of respect for the charity work Bill Gates does.

I also want to be clear that I am not against a vaccine and no doubt it will be important in the fight against coronavirus, and Im hopeful for its development to save lives.

However after watching the video, I felt it showed that there is still a lot of uncertainty about the side effects most importantly and how it is going to be funded. I may not always get my posting right. Im only human but Im learning as we go.

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Lewis Hamilton forced to explain position on Covid-19 vaccination - The Guardian

MIAMI (CBSMiami) Vice President Mike Pence will visit the University of Miami on Monday to mark the beginning of Phase 3 trials for a coronavirus vaccine.

The universitys Miller School of Medicine is taking part in the Phase 3 trial of a vaccine developed by the biotech firm Moderna.

We have never seen vaccine development at this speed before, and I think we can all see there is a very good reason for that. I think that all the usual steps, checking safety, and efficacy are still being, they are all just at an accelerated speed, explained infectious disease expert Dr. Susanne Doblecki-Lewis.

The clinical trial, which is expected to begin next week, is part of a 30,000-person study and The Miller School plans to enroll 1,000 volunteers in South Florida.

The volunteers will be injected with the investigational vaccine by Moderna.

The Moderna vaccine is using MRNA which is sort of genetic material that makes one protein copy in the cells of the part of the coronavirus and then your body makes an immune response to that. So it is a different approach, explained Dr. Doblecki-Lewis.

Dr. Maria Alcaide, the Director of Infectious Diseases Research at the University of Miami Health System, said so far the vaccine trial has shown it to be safe.

So far we know that the vaccineis safe meaning, that it doesnt have major side effects and we also knowit has been able to produce antibodies. That means that there is a potential that those antibodies will be able to fight future infections.

Dr. Alcaide said during the trial, they will not only be looking for the development of antibodies, but also how participants become infected after getting the vaccine.

With Miami now being the epicenter for the spread of the virus. Dr. Alcaide said with their aggressive research, she hopes this will be the stop to the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

This virus is a very aggressive virus and we are learning that the vaccine will be one of the only ways to prevent this virus, she said.

To volunteer for the clinical trials, click here. You must be 18 or older.

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Vice President Mike Pence To Visit University Of Miami Monday To Mark Beginning Of Phase 3 COVID-19 Vaccine Trials - CBS Miami

Researchers to conduct COVID-19 vaccine trials in Texas

A Texas-based research group is searching for people to participate in clinical trials for multiple COVID-19 vaccines.

A Texas-based research group is searching for people to participate in clinical trials for multiple COVID-19 vaccines.

Ventavia Research Group will conduct clinical trials in Keller, Fort Worth and Houston.

The group is looking for health individuals 18 or older and also those who might be at high-risk for exposure to COVID-19 -- like first responders, grocery store workers and other frontline workers.

We're at a place in the world where we need something quickly that can help protect lives. So these trials are being expedited, said Mercedes Livingston, COO, Ventavia Research Group.

The group says how quickly they move through the final phases of the trial in part depends on how many people choose to participate.

Protection against COVID-19 has become a top priority as pharmaceutical companies shift their efforts to get a vaccine thats safe and effective. Multiple companies have tapped Ventavia to operate the trials.

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We're looking for a large number of patients thousands or you know 20,000- 30,000 patients and those studies are again looking at still the safety, but more now the efficacy and how well the vaccine or the product works, how it helps protect the patient from COVID, Livingston said.

The company says researchers are also looking at how long the vaccine protection would last.

Participants will go through a medical screening to make sure they meet the criteria to participate. Theyll also be compensated for their time and travel.

The patient is follow closely with regular follow ups visits. They usually have some sort of electronic diary that they're keeping to notate any site reactions if they get redness, where they get the shot or anything like that. So they are followed closely by a physician, said Olivia Ray, Ventavia Research Group.

Though the company says some of the trials theyre running are in the final phases theres no telling when a marketable vaccine will be available.

It's being said more at a higher level that hopefully in the spring of 2021 but ultimately it would take a crystal ball to know absolutely for sure, but they're absolutely on the fastest track that they can take and being safe and keeping people healthy, said Kristi Raney, Ventavia Research Group.

Those interested in participating can call 817-348-0228 or visit ventaviaresearch.com for more information.

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Researchers to conduct COVID-19 vaccine trials in Texas - FOX 4 Dallas