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Not as Cold

Results are expected soon from a trial of a third RNA-based vaccine that may — if shown to be safe and effective — help meet global vaccine demand, the New York Times reports.

Like the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines that received emergency use authorization from the US Food and Drug Administration, CureVac's candidate vaccine is also mRNA based, the Times notes. But unlike those vaccines, CureVac's does not have to be stored at extremely cold temperatures — it is stable for three months at 41 degrees Fahrenheit (5 degrees Celsius) — making it an appealing option for low-resource regions, it adds.

Because of this, CureVac's candidate vaccine could help meet vaccine demand in middle- and low-income countries, the Times reports. "We still need a lot of vaccine globally," Florian Krammer, a virologist at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, tells it. "I think a lot of people can benefit from it."

The Times adds that results from CureVac's late-stage clinical trial are expected as soon as next week.

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