Single-dose vaccine trial launched

Johnson & Johnson plans to enroll 60,000 volunteers in the biggest COVID-19 immunization test so far. The company on Wednesday announced its international Stage 3 trial for a single-dose vaccine based on its Ebola shot. Dr. Paul Stoffels, Johnson & Johnson’s chief scientific officer, said the study could yield answers by early next year.

So, when will things get better? Even if a vaccine was ready by the end of the year, as President Donald Trump hopes, rolling it out would take time. Most Americans likely wouldn’t get a shot until sometime next year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday announced the distribution of $200 million to prepare for the immunization operation. In the meantime, people likely will need to continue wearing masks and practicing social distancing, Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told U.S. senators.

Dig deeper: Read Julie Borg’s breakdown of the vaccine trial process in Beginnings.