Novavax announced Monday it is beginning to enroll volunteers for a Phase III clinical trial of its experimental COVID-19 vaccine in the United States and Mexico. The randomized, placebo-controlled study will include up to 30,000 participants at about 115 sites in the two countries.

As the first COVID-19 vaccines roll out, an increasing number of Americans are saying they want to get vaccinated. While many had expressed concern over the past year about the fast pace of development, potential political ploys, and other theories, the shift from a hypothetical vaccine to real ones has seen a shift in attitudes as well.

On Friday, FDA granted an emergency use authorization (EUA) to a second COVID-19 vaccine—Moderna’s mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, which is indicated for individuals ages 18 years and older. 

MAJ Joseph Remesz-Guerrette, PharmD, U.S. Army, has had plenty of experience in the storage and handling of pharmaceuticals over his decade or so in pharmacy. When he joined Operation Warp Speed (OWS) as a medical planner, that know-how was a tremendous asset. “I didn't have to be brought up to speed on how to properly handle these vaccines,” he said. That has been a crucial part of a massive undertaking.

In a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine on December 11, a worldwide group of researchers showed that adding baricitinib, an orally administered, selective inhibitor of Janus kinase 1 and 2, to remdesivir can reduce recovery time and accelerate improvement in clinical status among patients with COVID-19. FDA issued an emergency use authorization for the dual treatment on November 19.