Pitt researchers hoping to help develop coronavirus vaccine

PITTSBURGH — A group of researchers at the University of Pittsburgh are working directly with the virus that’s causing events worldwide to shut down.

The goal is to help develop a vaccine, and this week NBC News got an exclusive look at what’s been going on for the past several weeks.

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Pitt’s Center for Vaccine Research obtained samples of the virus from the CDC in an effort to prevent its spread in the U.S. and beyond.

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Pitt said its CVR is one of the few labs nationwide that is qualified to handle pathogens like the coronavirus.

“The virus is out there. Remember, that’s what we do. We just bring the virus into a laboratory to work with it safely," Dr. Paul Dupres, Pitt director of vaccine research, said.

Duprex told Channel 11′s Aaron Martin that the vaccine will need to be effective for millions of people.

“You have to grow it, so that you have enough it, so you can determine how to stop it from growing," he said.

However, Duprex warned, it’s a slow process.

“There is pressure to deliver. But one of the things which is really important when thinking about speed is we can never, ever compromise safety,” he said.

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