Rutgers University is
directly involved with the search for a cure, taking part in one coronavirus
vaccine, as well as recruiting people for an important study.
Johnson & Johnson is in
phase three of its clinical research study to test Janssen's COVID-19
vaccine, and Rutgers is looking to enroll as many as 2,000 participants from
the university community and around the state.
People eligible
will get either a dose of the drug or a placebo. Researchers will track their progress. Members of the Rutgers community
who have enrolled in prior virus studies with health care workers are eligible
to participate.
The co-lead investigator, Dr.
Jeffrey Carson, says, “We have no doubt that the Rutgers University community
will rise to the challenge."
Fifty-seven people at Rutgers
New Jersey Medical School in Newark are taking part in Moderna's vaccine trial.
The company reports its effectiveness rate is 94.5%.
Dr. Shobha Swamina, the doctor
who's leading the trials at Rutgers, says it can be stored in a normal
refrigerator for 30 days.
"Essentially, it could
be stored in pharmacies and other locations to be able to distribute on a
faster basis,” says Dr. Swamina. "We want to be able to have a vaccine that is deployable in rural
America places, where there may not be deep freezers with -80 degrees
capacity."
More research is needed to
know exactly how long the antibodies will last. Moderna hopes it's approved for
health care workers before the end of the year.
If you're interested in
taking part in the research study for Janssen's vaccine, click
here.