Vaccine and Treatment Evaluation Unit (VTEU) at Emory is participating in a clinical trial to test an experimental vaccine for COVID-19.

The trial began March 16 at Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute in Seattle when a 43-year-old mother of two made headlines as the first human to receive the mRNA-1273 vaccine.

Developed by Massachusetts-based Moderna, Inc., the vaccine is based on messenger RNA which signals the body to make a viral protein. It does not contain the virus and cannot cause infection.

The Emory VTEU is enrolling people into this critical Phase I study evaluating the first vaccine candidate against COVID-19.

The trial aims to enroll about 45 participants in Seattle and Atlanta.

Eligible participants must be ages 18-55 and cannot have chronic diseases or health conditions that affect the immune system nor can they be taking immunosuppressive medications.

Participants will be given one of three possible doses 28 days apart, according to study sponsor, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) part of the National Institute of Health. The expected date of completion is June 2021.

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