Researchers test new coronavirus vaccine in Kansas City

The race is on to find a coronavirus vaccine right here in Missouri.

A new vaccine for COVID-19 is being tested at The Center for Pharmaceutical research. The first vaccines were given on Monday. Two people were given the vaccine in Missouri and one at another testing facility in Philadelphia. 40 will be given out during this phase.

The vaccine will go through three phases.

During phase one they will test it to a small number of people primarily for safety. They are also looking at the level of antibodies that form from the vaccine. This vaccine is expected to move through very quickly. Dr. John Ervin, who is leading his team through testing this says he hopes to see this on the market early next year.

”They put this vaccine together in just a remarkable amount of time,” he tells KY3. “Because of the severity and the magnitude of this problem, this will receive accelerated approval if it proves to number one to be safe. Which we expect it to show.”

He says he hopes to see the vaccine on the market by next year. A lot quicker than the usual time it takes a vaccine to get the FDA to approve, upwards of 15 years.