First COVID-19 vaccine tested in US poised for final testing

first COVID-19 vaccine tested in U.S. revved up people’s immune systems just way scientists h hoped, researchers reported Tuesday -- as shots are poised to begin key final testing.

“ matter how you slice this, this is good news,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, U.S. government’s top infectious disease expert, told Associated Press.

experimental vaccine, developed by Fauci’s colleagues at National Institutes of Health and Moderna Inc., will start its most important step around July 27: A 30,000-person study to prove if shots really are strong eugh to protect against coronavirus.

But Tuesday, researchers reported anxiously awaited findings from first 45 volunteers who rolled up ir sleeves back in March. Sure eugh, vaccine provided a hoped-for immune boost.

Those early volunteers developed what are called neutralizing antibodies in ir bloodstream -- molecules key to blocking infection -- at levels comparable to those found in people who survived COVID-19, research team reported in New England Journal of Medicine.

“This is an essential building block that is needed to move forward with trials that could actually determine wher vaccine does protect against infection,” said Dr. Lisa Jackson of Kaiser Permanente Washington Research Institute in Seattle, who led study.

re’s guarantee but government hopes to have results around end of year -- record-setting speed for developing a vaccine.

vaccine requires two doses, a month apart.

re were serious side effects. But more than half study participants reported flu-like reactions to shots that aren’t uncommon with or vaccines -- fatigue, heache, chills, fever and pain at injection site. For three participants given highest dose, those reactions were more severe; that dose isn’t being pursued.

Some of those reactions are similar to coronavirus symptoms but y’re temporary, lasting about a day and occur right after vaccination, researchers ted.

“Small price to pay for protection against COVID,” said Dr. William Schaffner of Vanderbilt University Medical Center, a vaccine expert who wasn’t involved with study.

He called early results “a good first step,” and is optimistic that final testing could deliver answers about wher it's really safe and effective by beginning of next year.

“It would be wonderful. But that assumes everything’s working right on schedule,” Schaffner cautioned.

And Tuesday's results only included younger ults. first-step testing later was expanded to include dozens of older ults, group most at risk from COVID-19. Those results aren't public yet but regulators are evaluating m, and Fauci said final testing will include older ults, as well as people with chronic health conditions that make m more vulnerable to virus — and Black and Lati populations likewise affected.

Nearly two dozen possible COVID-19 vaccines are in various sts of testing around world. Candidates from China and Britain’s Oxford University also are entering final testing sts.

30,000-person study will mark world’s largest study of a potential COVID-19 vaccine so far. And NIH-developed shot isn’t only one set for such massive U.S. testing, crucial to spot rare side effects. government plans similar large studies of Oxford candidate and ar by Johnson & Johnson; separately, Pfizer Inc. is planning its own huge study.

Alrey, people can start signing up to volunteer for different studies.

People think “this is a race for one winner. Me, I’m cheering every one of m on,” said Fauci, who directs NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

“We need multiple vaccines. We need vaccines for world, t only for our own country.”

Around world, governments are investing in stockpiles of hundreds of millions of doses of different candidates, in hopes of speedily starting iculations if any are proven to work.