COVID Vaccine tests begin in earnest

The first large study of a Covid-19 vaccine in the U.S. began with the dosing of a single patient today  in Savannah, Georgia, the opening shot for testing by Moderna Inc. and the National Institutes of Health that will weigh the vaccine’s safety and efficacy in 30,000 people.

The Moderna vaccine, backed by $955 million in government funding, will be tested at 89 U.S. sites. It uses messenger RNA, a synthetic form of genetic material from the virus designed to nudge the body’s immune system into attack mode. If the trial is successful, the company is on track to make 500 million doses of its vaccine in 2021, Moderna Chief Executive Officer Stephane Bancel said on a conference call with government officials.