Hackensack Meridian Health is enrolling individuals in a COVID-19 vaccine clinical trial.

The trial aims to study the mRNA-1273 vaccine, co-developed by Moderna and the National Institutes of Health, in 30,000 individuals. Hackensack University Medical Center is one of the nearly 90 sites nationwide assessing the vaccine’s safety and effectiveness, and expects to test the vaccine on 300 people.

“Hackensack Meridian Health has been at the forefront of delivering innovative breakthroughs in the pandemic and offering high-quality compassionate care in the most challenging circumstances,’’ said Hackensack Meridian Health Chief Executive Officer Robert Garrett in a prepared statement. “We are proud to support the development of a vaccine to fight this global menace.’’

“Our health network has been involved in virtually every facet of COVID-19 research,” said Dr. Ihor Sawczuk, president of Hackensack Meridian Health’s Northern Market and chief research officer of the network. “We’re eager to do our part with vaccines, which have such enormous potential for millions of people.”

The SARS-COV2 virus, which causes COVID-19, binds to the human cells via its spike protein, thus causing the viral fusion and cell entry that leads to infection, an announcement on the vaccine explained. This vaccine candidate aims to capitalize on that spike protein using a messenger RNA delivery system, and is expected to trigger the immune system to mount a response by encoding for a protein that targets against the binding receptor on the spike protein (the antibodies) and also stimulates the host T cells to clear the infection quicker, the announcement explained.

If a vaccinated person gets exposed to the virus, the immune system could potentially recognize the virus and be able to prevent or lessen the intensity of COVID-19.

The vaccines in the trial are made from the genetic code of the virus copied from SARS-CoV-2, rather than the whole virus. This is a phase III study to test the safety and efficacy of the vaccine.

The individuals in the trials must be older than 18 years of age, not pregnant or breast feeding, must not have had COVID-19, and must not have some conditions like certain bleeding disorders, active infection or other immune disorders.

Members of diverse communities are especially sought in order to understand how it works in different groups.

I think social distancing and doing the due diligence of personal protection is very important throughout this pandemic but this study has the opportunity of being one of the solutions to this pressing issue.

— Dr. Bindu Balani, senior attending physician, Hackensack University Medical Center’s Division of Infectious Diseases

Folks in the trial will receive two injections in the arm muscle, 28 days apart. Half of the enrolled patients will receive the vaccine, and the other half will receive a placebo. Safety calls will be made and electronic diaries will be given to the subjects. Any person in the trial who does become infected with COVID-19-like illness will be assessed further with lab tests and will be assisted in getting treatment with their primary care provider, who will be given the results.

“We are eager to be a part of this very crucial and important work,” said Dr. Bindu Balani, senior attending physician at Hackensack University Medical Center’s Division of Infectious Diseases, and a faculty physician at Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, in a prepared statement. “I think social distancing and doing the due diligence of personal protection is very important throughout this pandemic but this study has the opportunity of being one of the solutions to this pressing issue.

“Vaccine studies will work if vaccinations occur and we thank the volunteers in advance for being a part of this important research,” Balani said.

For more information about the trial, those interested can click here or contact (551) 996-5977.