Largest COVID-19 vaccine study under way in US

world's biggest COVID-19 vaccine study got underway Monday with first of 30,000 planned volunteers helping to test shots created by U.S. government -- one of several candidates in final stretch of global vaccine race.

re's still guarantee that experimental vaccine, developed by National Institutes of Health and Moderna Inc., will really protect.

needed proof: Volunteers won't kw if y're getting real shot or a dummy version. After two doses, scientists will closely track which group experiences more infections as y go about ir daily routines, especially in areas where virus still is spreading unchecked.

Melissa Harting is participating in Phase 3 of trial in Binghamton, New York.  She says she wants to do her part to help.

"You kw, we've never really seen anything like this. And to be able to be part of, you kw, hopefully finding a vaccine for it is huge. You kw, re's any anybody in your family can be affected by it. re's you kw, everyone in my family is medical. My husband is a police officer. So we're all on front lines and can be easily affected by it.  So doing our part to eradicate it is very important to me," shares Harting.

Moderna said Savannah, Georgia was first site to get underway among more than seven dozen trial sites scattered around country.

Dr. Frank Eder is principal investigator at Meridian Clinical Research in Binghamton, New York.  He says re are 38 participants scheduled for today and y plan to have about 500 to 1000 participants from area.

"Once we introduce this into a large group of people, we can truly see efficacy of vaccine as well as safety of vaccine.  And once we get past this trial, we can move into general public and actually mass producing and having this given to population."

Several or vaccines made by China and by Britain's Oxford University earlier this month began smaller final-st tests in Brazil and or hard-hit countries.

But U.S. requires its own tests of any vaccine that might be used in country and has set a high bar: Every month through fall, government-funded COVID-19 Prevention Network will roll out a new study of a leading candidate -- each one with 30,000 newly recruited volunteers.

massive studies aren't just to test if shots work — y're needed to check each potential vaccine's safety. And following same study rules will let scientists eventually compare all shots.

Next up in August, final study of Oxford shot begins, followed by plans to test a candidate from Johnson & Johnson in September and vavax in October -- if all goes according to schedule. Pfizer Inc. plans its own 30,000-person study this summer.

It rmally takes years to create a new vaccine from scratch, but scientists are setting speed record this time around, spurred by kwledge that vaccination is world's best hope against pandemic. coronavirus wasn't even kwn to exist before late December, and vaccine makers sprang into action Jan. 10 when China shared virus' genetic sequence.

Just 65 days later in March, NIH-made vaccine was tested in people. first recipient is encouraging ors to volunteer w.

"re's very little that we can do to combat this virus. And being able to participate in this trial has given me a sense of, that I'm doing something," Jennifer Haller of Seattle told AP.

That first-st study that included Haller and 44 ors showed shots revved up volunteers' immune systems in ways scientists expect will be protective, with some mir side effects such as a brief fever, chills and pain at injection site. Early testing of or leading candidates have had similarly encouraging results.