HCMC – After the Ministry of Health announced that it would begin testing the Vietnam-made Covid-19 vaccine on humans from December 10 to 12, many volunteers have signed up to participate in the trial.
Nguyen Ngo Quang, deputy head of the Department of Science, Technology and Training under the Ministry of Health, affirmed that the ministry has encouraged local residents to participate in the trial, Tuoi Tre Online newspaper reported.
It will be conducted cautiously to ensure the safety of volunteers. The vaccine will be tested on 40-60 volunteers in the first phase and some 600 people in the second phase.
The Ministry of Health would provide residents with detailed information on the requirements for volunteers.
A basic criterion is that volunteers must be in good health and undergo thorough medical checkups and must not suffer from chronic and contagious diseases, Quang said.
A representative of Nanogen Pharmaceutical Biotechnology JSC, the first firm allowed to test its Covid-19 vaccine on people, said the first phase of the trial will need 20-60 volunteers, and the Vietnam Military Medical University will be in charge of selecting volunteers.
Do Tuan Dat, chairman of the Company for Vaccine and Biological Production No.1 (VABIOTECH), under the Ministry of Health, said its Covid-19 vaccine has been tested on mice since April and all the mice injected with the vaccine have become immune to the disease after two injections, 21 days from each other.
VABIOTECH is completing procedures to be able to start testing the vaccine on people in March next year.
In Vietnam, four firms are developing Covid-19 vaccines. Besides Nanogen and VABIOTECH, the two other firms are the Institute of Vaccines and Medical Biologicals in the south-central coast city of Nha Trang and the Center for Research and Production of Vaccines and Biologicals, all under the Ministry of Health.
IVAC’s Covid-19 vaccine is expected to be tested on people in February 2021.
