Source: ABCnews
Victoria has recorded 918 new COVID-19 cases and six deaths.
There are now 11,417 active COVID cases in the state and 512 people have died during the current Delta outbreak.
The new cases were identified from 45,658 test results.
There are 305 COVID-19 patients in Victorian hospitals, with 41 active cases in ICU and 19 patients on ventilators.
The Health Department said there were a further 53 patients in intensive care whose COVID infections had cleared.
Trials for local mRNA vaccine candidate about to begin
An mRNA vaccine candidate developed in Melbourne is about to begin clinical trials, potentially paving the path to Australia’s first locally manufactured mRNA vaccine.
The vaccine is being developed by the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, in a project involving the Doherty Institute and manufacturer IDT Australia.
Today the government joined researchers to announce clinical trials would begin in the new year.
Researchers previously said the trials would run for a year, but early results could indicate the vaccine’s effectiveness after the first three months.
The vaccine differs to the current Pfizer mRNA vaccine by presenting a more specific part of the spike protein to the body in a bid to trigger a more effective immune response to variants such as Delta or Omicron.
