Nov. 3—Stanford Medicine has begun enrolling volunteers to participate in a clinical trial for a coronavirus vaccine developed by Johnson & Johnson — one of a handful of efforts considered front-runners in the global race for a vaccine.

Enrollment for Phase 3 of the trial began Friday, marking the final stage before potential authorization in which tens of thousands of people receive the vaccine to see if it is effective. Stanford plans to enroll 1,000 volunteers as part of the global trial that will include 60,000 people at 180 sites around the world.

At least one coronavirus vaccine is expected to receive FDA emergency use authorization by the end of the year and be made available early next year to a small number of high-risk individuals like health care workers and nursing home residents and employees. But vaccines will probably not be widely available for most of the U.S. population until summer or fall 2021, according to estimates from scientists, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Participants will receive the vaccine or a placebo and be followed for two years. Stanford is particularly interested in volunteers who are at higher risk for contracting the virus, including teachers, grocery store workers, people who live in multi-generational households, health care workers and students.

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