News Anchor Makes History By Receiving First Shot In US Phase 3 Trial Of Coronavirus Vaccine
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) -- Scientists have entered Phase 3 clinical trials, the most advanced stage of testing, of a coronavirus vaccine in the United States and one CBS anchor became the first volunteer to get an injection.
Dawn Baker is an anchor at CBS local station WTOC in Savannah, Georgia.
She is among the approximately 30,000 volunteers expected to participate in the Moderna/National Institutes of Health vaccine to evaluate if it can safely prevent symptomatic coronavirus.
"I feel as if nothing happened today even though something very big did," Baker said.
Volunteers will receive two doses of the vaccine or a placebo about 28 days apart.
Some experts say they could be able to properly evaluate the vaccine's effectiveness in about six months.
"I think we can be a little optimistic you know in this pandemic that has affected all of us, we need a little hope," Said Dr. Ihor Sawczuk.
A new CBS poll found that only 30% of Americans would opt to get a coronavirus vaccine "as soon as possible," while half of the country said they could consider it but would "wait to see" what happened to others first. And 20 percent say they'd "never" get it.
The Phase 3 trials are taking place at 89 testing sites across the country, including one in Los Angeles and two in San Diego.
"This is the first of several vaccines that are going to be coming along quite quickly and people are going to be hearing a lot about this," said NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins.
If the trials show success with the vaccine and it is approved by the Food and Drug Administration, the Moderna/NIH vaccine would be the first of its kind.
The company says it is on track to deliver up to one billion doses a year, starting next year.
