On May 5, 2020, Massachusetts Eye and Ear and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), members of Mass General Brigham, announced progress towards the testing and development of an experimental vaccine called AAVCOVID, a novel gene-based vaccine candidate against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

The AAVCOVID Vaccine Program is a unique, gene-based vaccine strategy that uses adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector, a clinically established gene transfer technology leveraging the properties of a harmless viral carrier.