KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Several Covid-19 vaccine trials are underway in the Kansas City area.
The Center for Pharmaceutical Research is moving forward with trials of a DNA vaccine developed by pharmaceutical company Inovio.
Trials began in April when participants were given injections of the potential vaccine.
Independence resident Ellie Lilly and her sister Heather jumped at the chance to be a part of it.
"I'm really just excited to get to April and know how my body responded to the vaccine," Lilly said.
Lilly said she and Heather have been on the lookout for any side effects since getting the injections and say they haven't had any so far.
"To me, that's the first hopeful indication that things are going well," Lilly said.
Dr. John Ervin, principal investigator with the Alliance for Multispecialty Research, said the second phase of the three-phase trial will start soon. It's a process that would typically take years.
"We can't wait years to get this one, we need to get it there quickly, the quicker the better, as long as we know that number one it's safe, number two it's effective," Ervin said.
Ervin said the vaccine's effectiveness won't be completely clear until the study is complete and it's out there being released.
Ervin said he sees the company moving forward as a sign that things are going well.
It's something Lilly and her sister are happy to hear about, even if their efforts are only to help further the research.
"I really feel like it's important and it gives me a lot of hope, and I know that it gives her a lot of hope, it's exciting," Lilly said.
Several area hospital have been doing trials with the Astra Zeneca vaccine. The trials are currently paused in the U.S. amid side effect concerns.
A spokesperson for the University of Kansas Health System, one of the hospitals participating in the trials, said the hospital cannot comment on the trials currently since it is paused but will be able to provide an update when it resumes, which it is expected to do.
