As News 12 has reported, Russia claims it has approved the first COVID-19 vaccine in the world, but there is skepticism about the product that came from a Moscow Institute. Meanwhile, work on U.S. vaccines continues.

The Trump administration has inked a $1.5 billion deal with Moderna Inc., one of the companies already producing a vaccine before proof it works.

"We're on track to rapidly produce 100 million doses as soon as the vaccine is approved and up to 500 million shortly thereafter," says President Donald Trump.

In an interview with CNN last month, principal investigator Dr. Paul Bradley says clinical trials are underway. Half of the subjects have the vaccine, the other half the placebo.

"Everyone gets treated as if they've got the same thing and we wait and we watch.  We're looking for any side effects, any complaints," says Dr. Bradley.

The deal with Moderna is part of the government “Operation Warp Speed,” which is the government’s push to get a vaccine available as quickly and safely as possible.

"There's a process that takes place at the FDA, it's not one person who says 'We're good to go,' you know, it goes to a bunch of data scientists who look at the data, they compare it to other data and then they render these, you know, recommendations," says Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN Chief Medical Correspondent.

If testing goes well, experts say a vaccine will possible be available to the public early next year.

The World Health Organization says there are more than two-dozen COVID-19 vaccines that are in human trials.