First three volunteers receive first shots of 50mcg dose of COVID-19 vaccine

One of the three first volunteers receiving first shots of 50mcg dose of vaccine (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – Three first volunteers received
the first shot of a dose of 50mcg of on December 26
morning.

Developed by the Nanogen Pharmaceutical
Biotechnology JSC and the Vietnam Military Medical University, Nanocovax is
Vietnam’s first COVID-19 candidate vaccine to reach the .

A total of 60 volunteers, aged 18-50, were selected
for the first phase of the clinical trials. They are divided into three groups
for receiving three doses of 25 mcg, 50 mcg and 75 mcg, respectively. The
vaccination consists of two injections 28 days apart.

After the injection, the volunteers have been put under
health monitoring at the Hanoi-based Military Medical University for 72 hours.
The remaining 17 in the group will get injections of the 50mcg dose if the
vaccine’s safety is confirmed.

The first group testing the 25 mcg dose received the
first injections on December 17. According to Major General Hoang Van Luong,
Deputy Director of the university, after the shots, all the 20 volunteers in
the group are in stable condition with no abnormal signs detected.

The first phase is scheduled to end after a month
and a half, during which the university will continue to select suitable
volunteers for the second, which is scheduled to begin in March 2021.

The participants will be under medical monitoring
for six months from the day they were given the first injection.

The has
spent 20 billion VND (865,946 USD) buying a health insurance package for the
volunteers.

Apart from Nanocovax, Vietnam has several other
COVID-19 candidate vaccines being developed by Vabiotech, Polyvac, and the
Institute of Vaccines and Medical Biologicals./.