As the kids would say, this is a BFD! Scientists at Walter Reed’s Army Institute of Research expect to announce within weeks that they have developed a universal vaccine that works against COVID-19 and all its variants, as well as from previous SARS-origin viruses that have killed millions of people worldwide. Via DefenseOne:
The achievement is the result of almost two years of work on the virus. The Army lab received its first DNA sequencing of the COVID-19 virus in early 2020. Very early on, Walter Reed’s infectious diseases branch decided to focus on making a vaccine that would work against not just the existing strain but all of its potential variants as well.
Walter Reed’s Spike Ferritin Nanoparticle COVID-19 vaccine, or SpFN, completed animal trials earlier this year with positive results. Phase 1 of human trials, which tested the vaccine against Omicron and the other variants, wrapped up this month, again with positive results that are undergoing final review, Dr. Kayvon Modjarrad, director of Walter Reed’s infectious diseases branch, said in an exclusive interview with Defense One.
Unlike existing vaccines, Walter Reed’s SpFN uses a soccer ball-shaped protein with 24 faces for its vaccine, which allows scientists to attach the spikes of multiple coronavirus strains on different faces of the protein.
Huge if true—
Walter Reed scientists “expect to announce that they have developed a vaccine that protects people from COVID-19 and all its variants, even Omicron, as well as from previous SARS-origin viruses that have killed millions of people worldwide.”https://t.co/M0FNuOeLe2
— David Priess (@DavidPriess) December 22, 2021
Check out my interview with Dr. Kayvon Modjarrad, leading researcher at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, about the groundbreaking work of his team on the new COVID-19/ SARS vaccine. https://t.co/eJDOR72rCp
— Loren DeJonge Schulman (@LorenRaeDeJ) December 22, 2021
10) I’m also hopeful that because the vaccine was developed exclusively by the federal Walter Reed Army Medical Center (literally across the street from NIH) — we won’t have the IP fight like with Moderna. This is entirely US govt owned and be licensed for free—if they choose. 🤞🏼
— Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing) December 22, 2021