Local scientist working on potential virus vaccine

Local scientist working on potential virus vaccine

Reopen alabama's economy."

New at ten.

As life starts to slowly resembling normal after coronavirus restrictions, many people are wondering how long it will be until we have a coronavirus vaccine.

Waay 31's will robinson-smith spoke with some of the industries waiting for a vaccine and local scientist helping to develop a potential one.

Until a vaccine comes along, theatrical companies are left in the dark, not knowing when it may be safe for them to reopen and if people will be safe coming back to their venues.

Megan carter, fantasy playhouse basically, we're taking it one week at a time and we're also, unfortunately having to think of a lot of contingency plans and think about the 'what ifs.'

Megan carter is the advancement director for fantasy playhouse.

She says while they've received some federal assistance, they've been struggling to stay afloat under the current coronavirus safety restrictions.

Megan carter, fantasy playhouse we can't keep kids limited to 10 in one room and 10 in another because they'd still have to cross the halls for lunch or the bathroom or whatever.

So honestly, if we're still having this issue come fall, that's a little bit of a scarier path that we're hoping to not go down.

Huntsville scientist dr. dan carter is working with minnesota-based predictive oncology to help develop a vaccine that would provide strong immunity to the coronavirus.

Dr. dan carter, helping develop coronavirus vaccine the question will be over time, what is the durability of the vaccine.

Meaning, how long will it last.

Will you have to have a booster in a year or is it a lifetime?

And you just don't know till you actually do the clinical studies and follow it for long periods of time.

The process is based on a nanoparticle technology that was developed here in huntsville.

Dr. carter says its already in production to be used in a clinical trial.

Will robinson-smith as for how it works, using legos, when the nano particle enters a cell in your body, it causes a self-assembly process to begin which causes your cells to generate complex structures that become the vaccine particles.

Dr. carter says if approved, mass production wouldn't be an issue.

Dr. dan carter, helping develop coronavirus vaccine a commercial fermentor, one or two that size, in a period of about two to three days can generate enough raw material for the vaccine for 20 million people.

Dr. carter says they could enter into the phase one clinical trials, which focus on safety, in early fall, if not sooner.

Reporting live in huntsville, will robinson-smith, waay