Imperial College London has "reached a significant milestone" after delivering a small dose of its coronavirus vaccine candidate to the first healthy volunteer in its trial. So far, all has gone according to plan. The clinical team is closely monitoring the participant's health, which remains in good condition, and there are no safety concerns.
Developing a vaccine for the COVID-19 virus is crucial during the pandemic, and it's worth keeping an eye on every effort. But Imperial College's candidate stands out because it's based on a new self-amplifying RNA technology, which has never before been involved in human trials. If it proves safe and effective, Imperial College believes it could revolutionize — and reduce the cost of — vaccine development, allowing scientists to take on emerging diseases like COVID-19 much more quickly in the future.
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