People, aged from 18-59 and residing in Hanoi, are encouraged to register for human trials of Vietnam’s second COVID-19 vaccine candidate COVIVAC (Photo: VNA) In the first phase of the trials, 150 healthy volunteerswill be injected with two doses of 0.5ml with an interval of 28 days.
They will be divided into five groups, including one groupprovided with placebo shots, and their health will be closely monitored within24 hours after injections.
Each volunteer will have their health checked-up eight timesin 12 months.
After 43 days since the first phase starts and shows goodresults, the second phase will be carried out at the medical centre of ThaiBinh province’s Vu Thu district, with 300 volunteers.
The homegrown vaccine has been developed by the NhaTrang-based Institute of Vaccines and Medical Biologicals (IVAC) and the HanoiMedical University since last May, using primary chicken embryo cell culture, atechnique the institute used previously to successfully produce seasonal fluvaccines.
COVIVAC has undergone pre-clinical trials in India, the US,and Vietnam, said IVAC Director Dr. Duong Huu Thai, adding that results showedthat it satisfies all conditions to be tested on humans.
The vaccine candidate demonstrated high immunogenicityduring pre-clinical trials. It was created based on studies of new SARS-CoV-2strains.
This vaccine is expected to have a price of around 60,000VND (2.59 USD) per dose./.
VNA
