Results show Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is safe

The first COVID-19 vaccine tested in people showed early promising results on Tuesday(July 14).

Biotech firm Moderna was the first to start human testing of an experimental vaccine for the coronavirus, in March.

U.S. researchers reported that this early-stage study found the vaccine was safe and induced immune responses in all 45 healthy volunteers.

Top U.S. infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci called the results 'good news.'

His researchers developed Moderna's vaccine candidate and he says it produced quote 'reasonably high' levels of antibodies.

Another positive outcome was the lack of serious side effects.

However, more than half of the participants reported moderate restrictions like fevers, headaches and chills.

The team says these were more likely to occur after a second, larger dose and in people who got the trial's highest dose.

When injected into people, Moderna's vaccine instructs cells to make proteins that mimic the outer surface of the coronavirus.

The body recognizes this as a foreign invader, and mounts an immune response against it.

The federal government is supporting Moderna's vaccine with nearly half a billion dollars and has chosen it as one of the first to enter large-scale human trials.

Moderna started its phase 2 trial in May and expects to begin a phase 3 trial at the end of this month.

It will be conducted in some 30,000 volunteers.