Moderna’s Coronavirus Vaccine Spurs Immune Response: Early Data

A clinical trial of the shot in eight volunteers suggests that it is safe and that it generates antibodies that neutralize SARS-CoV-2, but further testing is needed, scientists say.

Written byAshley Yeager

| 3 min read

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A candidate coronavirus vaccine tested in people appears to be safe and can generate an immune response against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Drugmaker Moderna, which is developing the vaccine, announced the results today (May 18).

The results are based on a Phase 1 clinical trial of the vaccine, which was given in two doses to eight healthy volunteers. The recipients tolerated the vaccine well, with no major health issues. Only one suffered from redness around the injection site.

All of the volunteers made antibodies in response to the vaccine, and when those antibodies were tested in human cells in the lab, they stopped SARS-CoV-2 from replicating, which means they neutralized the virus. The levels of the neutralizing antibodies in the volunteers’ bodies were similar to levels observed in the blood samples, or sera, of individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2.

“The fact that the vaccine ...

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Meet the Author

Ashley Yeager
Ashley started at The Scientist in 2018. Before joining the staff, she worked as a freelance editor and writer, a writer at the Simons Foundation, and a web producer at Science News, among other positions. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and a master’s degree in science writing from MIT. Ashley edits the Scientist to Watch and Profile sections of the magazine and writes news, features, and other stories for both online and print.
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