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Researchers rush to test coronavirus vaccine in people without knowing how well it works in animals
Article

Researchers rush to test coronavirus vaccine in people without knowing how well it works in animals

STAT, 2020

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Editorial Rating

9

Qualities

  • Scientific
  • Eye Opening
  • Hot Topic

Recommendation

If someone offered you a shot that might keep you from getting COVID-19, would you accept it? How about if you knew that it had done an end run around all of the conventional strategies for ensuring that new vaccines are both safe and efficacious? Anyone hoping for a quick resolution to the novel coronavirus pandemic will gain valuable perspective from this reader-friendly overview of the benefits and risks that efforts to fast-track development of an innovative vaccine are offering a world in tumult.

Take-Aways

  • Researchers have developed a possible vaccine for COVID-19 in record time.
  • They are preparing to test the new vaccine in humans without completing animal trials first.
  • Some experts think the risks are worth it, but others disagree.

About the Author

Eric Boodman is a general assignment reporter for STAT. He graduated from Yale University, where he studied narrative journalism.