Researchers at the University of Saskatoon are receiving $28 million In funding from the provincial and federal governments to help find a vaccine for COVID-19.

The U of S’s Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization- International Vaccine Centre, or VIDO-InterVac, is one of the most advanced infectious disease research facilities in the world. VIDO-InterVac researchers were part of the first group in Canada to isolate the virus.

The centre expects to know by mid-April whether the vaccine works from animal tests. They have been hard at work since they started about four weeks ago.

“The animals are given some time to develop an immune response and then we will expose them to the virus and see if the vaccine protects them or not,” said Dr. Volker Gerdts, director and chief executive officer of VIDO-InterVac.

“We’re looking for reduced disease and we’re also looking for reduced transmission to other animals. That is very, very important.”

They say clinical testing can start once the U of S centre provides enough data for Health Canada to prove the vaccine is safe for humans.

Dr. Gerdts added they have been closely working with other organizations and research groups to try and find a solution.

“We have made it available to the Public Health Agency of Canada, provincial labs to help them with their work,” he explained.

“In fact, we’re testing a vaccine right now from a Chinese company that is already in phase one testing in humans. So we’re doing all the animal work for them at the moment.”

He mentioned that there are over 60 requests for contract work with companies, academic researchers and governments from all around the world including the United States and countries in Europe.

(With files from Moises Canales and Josh Sigurdson)