In a major development, Italy has claimed that it has successfully developed the world's first coronavirus vaccine that works on humans. As per the tests carried out at Rome Hospital, the novel coronavirus vaccine has antibodies generated in mice that work on human cells. Relevantly, this is the most advanced stage of testing of a candidate vaccine created in Italy. According to reports, the scientists used mice to test the vaccine and after a single vaccination, the mice developed antibodies that blocked the virus from infecting the human cells. Researchers chose two of the five vaccine candidates with the best results after observing them.
All of the vaccine candidates currently being developed are based on the genetic material of DNA protein "spike." The novel coronavirus has claimed 253,974 lives globally, and each country has stepped up its efforts in battling the pandemic. At present, there are around 70 COVID-19 vaccines that have been developed globally. Out of which, 5 are in advanced stages of human trial. The claims from Italy comes at time after Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said that it would take at least a year and a half to have a vaccine for coronavirus. Even the WHO coronavirus expert had predicted that there may never be a vaccine for COVID-19 just like HIV and Dengue.