Zika Virus researchers seeking volunteers willing to be infected
Wanted: Volunteers willing to be infected with the Zika virus for science. Researchers are planning a study — this winter, when mosquitoes aren’t biting — to help speed development of much-needed Zika vaccines.
The quest for a vaccine began less than a year ago as Brazil’s massive outbreak revealed that Zika, once dismissed as a nuisance virus, can harm a fetus’ brain if a woman is infected during pregnancy.
Related: SocialUnderground Zika Virus Coverage
Now, researchers in the U.S. have begun safety testing of two vaccine candidates, and more experimental shots are poised to enter that preliminary testing soon.