TIMESOFINDIA.COM | Last updated on – May 20, 2020, 15: 30 IST
01/7COVID-19 vaccine: What is the current status of Moderna vaccine and everything you should know about it
As more and more countries record the biggest single-day spikes in COVID-19 cases, the world is still grappling with the increasing terror of the novel coronavirus. The total number of infections worldwide has reached almost 5 million, including 3,24,000 fatalities. In between the growing death toll and the rate at which the infection is spreading, the medical staff are working day and night and toiling on front lines of the pandemic.
Even though experts across the globe are working round the clock to develop a potential vaccine, it is important to note that the development of a vaccine is a long process that goes through several stages of clinical trials. When a vaccine is injected in the body, it trains the body’s immune system to fight a particular pathogen. As of now, there are over 100 potential vaccines worldwide in different stages of development and the results of the US-based Moderna Therapeutics has been promising.
02/7What is the vaccine being produced by Moderna?
The Massachusetts-based biotech company Modern Inc. is developing an RNA-based vaccine, which is being called mRNA-1273. The company has already successfully completed phase 1 trials of its vaccine candidate. It was given the go-ahead by the FDA to begin the phase 2 trial and is all set to conduct it on 600 healthy individuals. The vaccine is being developed in collaboration with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).
The vaccine candidate was also granted a ‘fast track’ designation by the FDA and the company is slated to begin phase 3 trials in the month of July, whose results may be available by the end of 2020.
03/7How long does it take to develop a vaccine
A traditional vaccine usually takes years to develop as they work by training the body on what to expect when the pathogen actually attacks the body. This happens because the immune system of the body memorises the specific proteins of the virus present in the vaccine and attacks the pathogen in case it ever tries to infect the human cells. However, the preparation of this vaccine demands extreme caution while producing pure viral proteins when it comes to mass production.
04/7What is an RNA-based vaccine like the one being developed by Moderna
The mRNA vaccines are hailed as the alternative approach to the traditional vacci