FRIDAY, July 17, 2020 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. government should make immediate preparations for clinical trials<\/a> in which volunteers are exposed to the new coronavirus to speed development of a vaccine<\/a>, more than 100 top scientists say in a letter to the U.S. National Institutes of Health.<\/p>\n The scientists, including 15 Nobel laureates, said such “human challenge trials” were of “vast importance” in speeding up the testing of vaccines<\/a> being developed worldwide, CNN<\/i> reported.<\/p>\n “If challenge trials can safely and effectively speed the vaccine<\/a> development process, there is a formidable presumption in favor of their use, which would require a very compelling ethical justification to overcome,” according to the letter sent to NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins.<\/p>\n The scientists said preparations for human challenge trials should include “supporting safe and reliable production of the virus and any biocontainment facilities necessary to house participants.”<\/p>\n The letter was also signed by more than 2,000 challenge trial volunteers, CNN<\/i> reported.<\/p>\n ![\"MedicalNews\"](\"https:\/\/images.medicinenet.com\/images\/HealthDay\/healthday.png\")
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