Everyone wants to know when there will be a vaccine for the coronavirus, and Maryland researchers are among those racing to find a vaccine.

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The New England Journal of Medicine released Tuesday evening some promising news about a vaccine by Moderna. The report said the Moderna vaccine produced an immune response in all trial participants with no safety concerns, which means it will take the next step toward approval.

Medical centers and pharmaceutical companies across the world are racing to find a vaccine that works to prevent the coronavirus. The University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore will participate in the next phase of the trial for the Moderna vaccine, and they're also working on clinical trials for another vaccine.

"Our vaccine could be the answer to getting back to normal," said Dr. Kathy Neuzil, director of the University of Maryland School of Medicine's Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health.

The School of Medicine is in the first phase of testing a two-dose mRNA vaccine by Phizer that just got fast tracked by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

"We found that this vaccine was well tolerated. There were some side effects at the highest dose, so we didn't continue with a second dose at the highest dose, but the low and medium doses were well tolerated and have a good immune response," Neuzil said.

The trial should be moving into phase two in a matter of weeks. Starting at the end of July, the School of Medicine will also be participating in a phase three trial of another promising mRNA vaccine by Moderna.

"The difference with a phase three trial is we will actually be looking for the disease outcome, so rather than can the vaccine make a response an immune response, can the vaccine keep you from getting sick with COVID?" Neuzil said.

No one is sure how long it will take to determine the answer, but if everything goes smoothly, the best-case scenario is the Moderna vaccine could be approved for use in early 2021. Read more at WBALTV