Second local COVID-19 vaccine to begin human trials in February

The information was unveiled by Dr. Nguyen Ngo Quang, deputy director of the Department of Science, Technology and Training under the Ministry of Health, on January 20.

The clinical trial phase is expected to take place following the traditional Lunar New Year festival in mid-February and will involve approximately 120 volunteers who participate in the first phase.

IVAC director Duong Huu Thai said before receiving permission to launch human trials, the vaccine has been tested on mice and rabbits, with the results giving subjects strong immunity in a safe manner.

Human trials for the local COVID-19 vaccine are to take place in three phases with various groups of volunteers. These groups will receive two shots with two doses of one mcg and three mcg, respectively. The vaccination will consist of two injections 28 days apart.

Volunteers participating in the trials are required to be aged between 18 and 59, in good health conditions and without any underlying diseases. Each individual is set to undergo strict health check-ups.

The institute is expected to put the vaccine on sale in the local market by the end of the year providing that the results of clinical trials prove to be both safe and effective on humans.

At present, Vietnam has four COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers, including Nanogen Pharmaceutical Biotechnology JSC, the IVAC, the Vaccine and Biological Production Company No. 1 (Vabiotech), and the Center for Research and Production of Vaccines and Biologicals (Polyvac).

On December 17, 2020, the first locally-made COVID-19 vaccine NANOCOVAX, developed by Nanogen Pharmaceutical Biotechnology JSC, started human trials, with volunteers receiving the first doses at the Military Medical University in Hanoi.

The volunteers were in good health after taking the vaccine, without any abnormal signs being recorded.