The first Coronavirus vaccine that reached clinical trial stages has been determined to be both safe and generate an immune response against the virus, according to a new study.
A peer reviewed study published on Friday in the journal The Lancet, reveals that a single dose of the vaccine was found to produce virus-fighting antibodies and T cells, a type of immune cell, two weeks after it’s administered.
“These results represent an important milestone,” said the lead researcher on the study, Professor Wei Chen.
Producing both antibodies and T cells is an ideal result for a vaccine, the researchers said. A vaccine that does both not only triggers the body to produce virus-specific immune cells, but also supports the body’s innate immune response.
But the potential vaccine is far from being made available for widespread use. Further trials are needed to determine whether the vaccine effectively protects against infection — rather than just triggering an immune response to the virus.
Prof Chen added, “The challenges in the development of a COVID-19 vaccine are unprecedented, and the ability to trigger these immune responses does not necessarily indicate that the vaccine will protect humans from COVID-19.”
The study’s authors also noted that their research is limited because of its small sample size and short duration, and it also lacked a control group.
