(VOVWORLD) - A ceremony was held at the Hanoi Medical University on Thursday to kick-start clinical trials of COVIVAC, Vietnam’s second COVID-19 vaccine candidate developed based on the new highly-infectious coronavirus variants.
 (Photo: Health Ministry) |
The home-grown vaccine has been developed by the Nha Trang-based Institute of Vaccines and Medical Biologicals (IVAC) and the Hanoi Medical University beginning last May, using chicken embryo cell cultures, a technique the institute used previously to successfully produce seasonal flu vaccines.
COVIVAC has undergone pre-clinical trials in India, the US, and Vietnam, said IVAC Director Dr Duong Huu Thai, adding that results showed that it satisfies all conditions to be tested on humans.
There will be two phases in the trial, with the first conducted on five groups of volunteers totalling 120 people. Each group will be given two shots 28 days apart, with doses of either 1mcg, 3mcg, or 10mcg. The volunteers, aged 18 to 59, have been recruited by the research team. The first shot is scheduled at the Hanoi Medical University in February.
Professor Dang Duc Anh, Director of the National Institute of Epidemiology and Hygiene, said, 'After collecting results from the first phase on the 43rd testing day of volunteers, if the vaccines prove to be safe and can produce immunity, we will continue the second phase with larger samples. The second phase will be conducted in the Health Center in Vu Thu district, Thai Binh province.'