The trial of the first Italian vaccine against the coronavirus is underway

The tests start: ninety volunteers monitored for the next eight months. ReiThera and Spallanzani hope to have the first doses by March 2021

(photo: Chandan Khanna / Afp / Getty Images) The first phase of testing of the first Italian vaccine against coronavirus has been launched at the Spallanzani hospital in Rome. Starting from 24 August it will be administered to 90 volunteers, chosen from almost 5 thousand potential candidates, who for the following eight months will be carefully monitored and subjected to seven check-ups to detect safety and any side effects, but not yet efficacy. which will be confirmed in later stages. In the event of a positive outcome of the entire procedure, the first immunizations may be available as early as spring.

This is said by the medical director of the Roman hospital, Francesco Vaia, who was very optimistic about: "If everything will be fine, we will finish this experiment within the year. If we are good and fast now, we could have the vaccine on a commercial basis by March next year. This is the forecast ”. Vaia's words were also joined by those of ReiThera who reassured the company's production capacity (millions of doses) and the priority that will be given to Italy in the event that the vaccine is really effective.

How the experimentation works

The volunteers who passed the selections are divided into two equivalent groups of 45 people, all in perfect health: in the first there are those aged between 18 and 55 years, in the second instead the over 65. The first one who was injected with the vaccine was a 50-year-old woman - whose identity is not known because she preferred to remain anonymous - who explained that she made herself available for testing because of her work, which often leads her to 'abroad.