The Race for a Vaccine

    In April, Ellie Lily wasn’t sure what to do with herself. She’s a seventh-grade social studies teacher in Missouri. Her school had closed to stop the spread of Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. She hated that she couldn’t be with her students.

    So Lily held class meetings online. But the kids were lonely and bored. And the world had turned scary. Every day, more than 5,000 people were dying from the disease. Millions more had lost their jobs.

    Lily wanted to get everyone back in school safely. She also wanted to help the world return to normal. So she did something brave. She volunteered to test a brand-new drug. 

    The drug was designed to fight Covid-19. It had been given to mice, guinea pigs, ferrets, and monkeys. Now the drug company was ready to try it on people. 

    No one knew exactly what effect the drug would have on the volunteers. But Lily was willing to take that chance. 

    Ellie Lily is a seventh-grade social studies teacher in Missouri. In April, her school closed to stop the spread of Covid-19. That’s the disease caused by coronavirus. Lily wasn’t sure what to do. She hated not being with her students.

    Lily held classes online. But her students were lonely. They were bored too. And the world had become scary. Every day, more than 5,000 people died from the disease. Millions more had lost their jobs.

    Lily wanted kids to return to school safely. She also wanted the world to return to normal. So she did something brave. She volunteered to take a brand-new drug. 

    The drug was made to fight Covid-19. The drug had been tested on mice. It was also given to guinea pigs, ferrets, and monkeys. Now the drug company wanted to test it on people. 

    No one knew how the drug would affect people. But Lily was willing to try it anyway. 

    Ellie Lily was at a loss about what to do. She’s a seventh-grade social studies teacher in Missouri. In April, her school had closed to help prevent the spread of Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. She hated not being with her students.

    Lily organized class meetings online, but she knew that her students were lonely and bored. And the world had turned scary. More than 5,000 people were dying from the disease every day. Millions more had lost their jobs.

    Lily wanted everyone back in school safely. She also wanted to help the world return to normal. So she took a brave step—she volunteered to test a brand-new drug.

    The drug, which had been tested on mice, guinea pigs, ferrets, and monkeys, was designed to fight Covid-19. Now the drug company was ready to try it on people. 

    No one knew exactly how the drug would affect the volunteers, but Lily decided she was willing to take the risk.

    So when can we expect a Covid-19 vaccine? Normally, creating a vaccine takes years. First, scientists need to study the disease in a lab. Then they make a vaccine, which has to be tested. 

    Scientists start those tests by giving the vaccine to animals. If the drug is safe and it works, scientists test it in a small group of humans. Finally, they test the vaccine on thousands more people. 

    For Covid-19, this is all happening in record time. More than 100 companies are working on a vaccine. There may even be one available by the time you read this article.  

    If a vaccine is approved, we will need billions of doses. Labs are ready to make vaccines in 1,000-gallon tanks. Companies are rushing to make needles for shots.

    When will there be a Covid-19 vaccine? Normally, creating a vaccine takes years. First, scientists study the disease in a lab. Then they make a vaccine. Next, the vaccine is tested. 

    Testing begins on animals. If the drug is safe and it works, it is tested on a small group of people. Finally, it is tested on thousands of people. 

    For Covid-19, the testing is happening in record time. More than 100 companies are working on a vaccine. One may be ready by the time you read this article.  

    If a vaccine is approved, we will need billions of doses. Labs are ready to make vaccines in huge tanks. Companies are already making needles for shots.    

    So when can we expect a Covid-19 vaccine to become available? Ordinarily, it takes years to create a vaccine that is proven to work. Scientists start by studying the disease in a laboratory. After that, they make the vaccine, but it still has to be tested. 

    Scientists start those tests by giving the vaccine to animals. Then, provided the drug is safe and effective, scientists test it in a small group of humans. Finally, the vaccine is tested on thousands more people. 

    For Covid-19, more than 100 companies are working to create a vaccine—and they’re working at record speeds. A vaccine may even be available by the time you read this article.  

    If a vaccine is approved, the world will need billions of doses. To meet the demand, laboratories are prepared to make vaccines in 1,000-gallon tanks, and companies are hurrying to make needles for shots.