A coronavirus vaccine trial in humans has begun. When could a COVID-19 shot be available?

Updated

It was a big step in the global fight against coronavirus.

Key points: Across the world, about 35 companies and academic institutions are in the race to create a coronavirus vaccine

One has started human trials, and another three claim to be close, with EU leaders predicting a vaccine could be produced within six months

However experts are warning the population to be patient, with WHO officials maintaining vaccine won't be available before "the middle of next year"

At a research centre in the US city of Seattle this week, Jennifer Haller, who doesn't have the virus, became the first human to be given a potential vaccine.

"Everybody is feeling so helpless right now," she said.

"And I realised that there was something that I could do to help, and I'm excited to be here."

Ms Haller is one of 45 volunteers being given two injections 28 days apart to test the vaccine's safety. It is one of the large number of processes necessary before any vaccine can be given the green light for mass production and distribution.

But this Seattle research company — the Kaiser Permanente Washington Research Institute — is not alone. The race is on, and Australia is well and truly in it.

A team of scientists at the University of Queensland announced in January — when the outbreak was in its early stages — it was working on a vaccine.

The team, part of an international vaccines development group called the Coalition of Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), is now working "around the clock".

A spokeswoman said the team had chosen a candidate vaccine and pre-clinical testing had begun.

"[It is] progressing as rapidly as possible towards human trials, hopefully by the end of June," the spokeswoman said.

Approvals could be fast-tracked

Across the world, about 35 companies and academic institutions are in the race.

At least four are already testing in animals, and another two are preparing to begin human trials.

According to reports from the Chinese Communist Party People's Daily newspaper this week, researchers at the country's Academy of Military Medical Sciences received approval to launch early-stage clinical trials for a potential vaccine this week.

A Chinese government-controlled clinical trial database claims a "phase one" test will determine whether the experimental shot is safe in humans.

It is aiming to recruit 108 healthy people to take part in the trial, which will run between March 16 and December 31.

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen surprised the world this week, suggesting that the regulatory process for vaccines could be sped up and that a coronavirus shot could be on the market within six months.

That is at odds with experts at the World Health Organisation (WHO), which does not expect a fully-tested and approved vaccine to be ready to reach the market before the middle of 2021.

But Ms von der Leyen said she believed the shorter timeline was possible following talks with CureVac, a German biotech company working on a coronavirus vaccine.

The EU offered the company €80 million ($147 million) in financial backing, and reports this week suggested the Trump administration even made attempts to buy the company.

However those reports were rejected by the White House and the company itself.

In the US, along with the Seattle research firm, Boston-based biotech firm Moderna has publicly said it would begin human trials next month.

'It is going to be a long process'

Despite the pockets of optimism, most scientists and experts suggest that, even with fast-tracked timelines, there is still a long way to go.

Vaccines, like all medicines, need to undergo a series of clinical trials before authorities decide if they are safe and can be distributed to the general public.

Jodie McVernan, director of epidemiology at Melbourne's Doherty Institute, told the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday that effort was being coordinated by CEPI.

But she warned there were processes in place to protect the public, and patience was important.

"We need to go from discovery, to development, to clinical trials," Dr McVernan said.

"We won't have evidence if the vaccines will work until they're appropriately tried.

"All these steps need to take place and that's why we're saying that it is going to be a long process."

Candidate vaccine prompts cells to make coronavirus protein

This week the Doherty Institute — which became the first research team outside of China to copy the virus — found people's immune systems responded to coronavirus in the same way they try to fight the flu.

Scientists have taken the blood samples of one of Australia's first patients diagnosed with coronavirus and identified the antibodies recruited by the body to fight the illness.

It is hoped the information will help evaluate any vaccine candidate, as in an ideal world the vaccine should mimic the body's immune response.

Back in Seattle, the vaccine being tested on Ms Haller uses a genetic code that instructs cells to make the same protein found in coronavirus.

Most vaccines use a weak strain of the actual virus. But this vaccine uses the protective antibodies created by the body after breaking down that protein to grab hold of the spikes on the outside of the virus and prevent it from getting into the body's system.

It has been labelled "cutting edge" by the scientists behind it.

For Ms Haller, the motivation to be used as a human guinea pig was simple:

"I hope that we get to a working vaccine quickly and that we can save lives and that people can go back to life as soon as possible."

A sentiment shared by most of the world right now.

Additional reporting by ABC medical reporter Sophie Scott and AP

Topics: health, health-policy, vaccines-and-immunity, epidemics-and-pandemics, epidemiology, diseases-and-disorders, australia, qld, germany, china, united-states

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