First 35 volunteers receive injections of home-grown COVID-19 vaccine in second-stage trial

The second phase of human trial of  is carried out at the Military Medical University on February 26. (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – The first 35 volunteers received injections of the home-grown Nano Covax in the second phase of human trial at the Military Medical University on February 26.

The 35 volunteers were chosen among about 300 people who registered to participate
in the second-stage trial of the vaccine at the University after undergoing rigorous medical examinations.  They are
divided into three groups for receiving three different doses of 25mcg, 50mcg
and 75mcg, and one group with five people getting .

According to a representative from the University, a total 560 volunteers, aged
18-60, including those with several diseases such as hypertension, dyslipidemia and diabetes, among
others, will participate in the second-stage trial, which is carried out in Hanoi and
the Mekong Delta province of Long An.

Lieutenant-General Do Quyet,
Director of the Military Medical University, said since the trial sees the
participation of volunteers with underlying health conditions, competent
authorities have been prepared for all scenarios and ensure safety for
all volunteers.

Results of the trial will be announced in May 2021 before preparing for the third-stage trial during which only one single shot of the vaccine will be
administered to 10,000-15,000 people from both domestic and foreign
pandemic-hit regions, Quyet added.

Present at the second-stage trial of Nano
Covax at , Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam encouraged
the volunteers and the medical workers, while expressing his firm belief in the
ability of the Vietnamese scientists in successfully developing COVID-19
vaccines.

The first-stage trial of the Nano Covax vaccine showed that it is likely to be
effective against B117 variant from the UK.

Vietnam
is one among 40 countries in the world that have started human trials of a
COVID-19 vaccine, after successfully producing coronavirus test kits early into
the pandemic.

The country also has several other
COVID-19 candidate vaccines being developed, which are IVAC by the Institute of Vaccines and
Medical Biologicals, VABIOTECH by the Company for Vaccine and Biological Production
No 1, and POLYVAC by the Centre for Research and Production of Vaccines and
Biologicals./.