A Maryland man believes he could be one of the first people successfully vaccinated against the coronavirus after his body produced antibodies in response to a trial he participated in, according to media reports.
David Rach, a graduate immunology student at the University of Maryland, enrolled in a trial at the university in Baltimore, where drug companies Pfizer and the German firm BioNTech are preparing to scale up production if the vaccine proves effective, The Daily Mail reported Thursday.
Last week, Pfizer announced that early data from the trial shows that the vaccine appears to be generating antibodies in those vaccinated at rates equal to or greater than those who’ve recovered from COVID-19.
Mr. Rach said he does not know for certain whether he received the trial RNA vaccine candidate or a placebo saline solution, but thinks his body has been producing antibodies after a reaction to the second dose.
It will be months before scientists will know more about the results of the trial vaccine and to assess whether or not Mr. Rach developed immunity against the coronavirus. Mr. Rach is scheduled to visit the clinic in October to have his antibody levels checked, but could visit earlier than that if he believes he has been exposed to the virus.
The two drug companies expect to manufacture up to 100 million doses by the end of this year and more than 1.2 billion doses by the end of 2021 if the studies go well and the vaccine receives approval.
• Shen Wu Tan can be reached at stan@washingtontimes.com.
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