Us researchers give first shot of experimental coronavirus vaccine to volunteer

On March 16, 2020, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania gave the first shot of an experimental coronavirus vaccine to a volunteer in a clinical trial. The vaccine, developed by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and the biotech company Inovio Pharmaceuticals, is a DNA-based vaccine that uses a piece of genetic material to instruct cells in the body to produce a protein that triggers an immune response.

The volunteer, a healthy adult, received the vaccine at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine, and will be followed for several months to monitor the vaccine's safety and effectiveness. The trial is designed to test the vaccine's ability to induce an immune response and protect against COVID-19, and will involve a total of 40 volunteers.

The vaccine uses a technology called electroporation, which uses a small electrical pulse to open up the skin and allow the DNA to enter the cells. This allows the vaccine to be delivered directly into the cells, where it can stimulate an immune response.

The researchers are hopeful that the vaccine could be available for widespread use within the next year or two, pending further testing and regulatory approval.