Vaccine Development in Stages
2018 – As mentioned, a “universal flu vaccine” was in development at the NIH Vaccine Research Centre (VRC), where experts had been studying coronaviruses to find out how best to protect against them. The scientists specifically studied the spike protein, which appears on the surface of coronaviruses. A ‘prototype’ injection was developed that sent mRNA instructions for the spike protein directly into a person’s muscle.
Mid January 2020
Researchers from China published the DNA sequence of SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.
Early February 2020
The VRC worked with a company called Moderna to quickly customise their ‘mRNA prototype’ injection with the DNA sequence and developed a vaccine called mRNA 1273.