Henry Ford Begins COVID-19 Vaccine Trial

Researchers across the global are focused on finding a vaccine to guard against the novel coronavirus. Russian authorities recently approved a vaccine, but scientists are questioning the governments methods after reports that it has been tested on just 76 subjects.

“It’s critical for us to have a vaccine to be able to control or defeat COVID.” — Dr. Marcus Zervos, Henry Ford Health

In the U.S., Henry Ford Health is participating in a nationwide double-blind trial for a vaccine developed by biotech firm Moderna across 90 sites with 30,000 participants. Volunteers will be split into test and control groups and given the vaccine or a placebo.

The first volunteers have begun the study, says Dr. Marcus Zervos, an infectious disease division chief at the Henry Ford Health System.

Listen: Dr. Marcus Zervos on the Moderna vaccine, its safety and timeline for implementation. 

“We’re very excited to be part of this project,” Zervos says. “It’s critical for us to have a vaccine to be able to control or defeat COVID. And this vaccine is one of the first to be moved into clinical trials.”

Safety and speed

The Moderna vaccine is now in Phase 3 trials. Phase 4 trials occurs after approval on larger numbers of volunteers.

“The development of this vaccine has been very rapid and the fast tracking of it has been done – but safety and doing the trials properly has not been sacrificed in this,” Zervos says. “It’s impossible to predict when a vaccine is going to get approved, but we’re still hoping for towards the end of this year.”

He says the size of the trial — half getting the vaccine and half getting a placebo — will ensure that side effects of the vaccine are known. It has also been used for other infections and cancer therapy. 

Volunteers will be followed for two years after administration of the vaccine.

“We feel that the follow up is very important because we want to know how long the protection lasts with the vaccine,” Zervos says.