(VOVWORLD) - The Institute of Vaccines and Medical Biologicals (IVAC), working in co-ordination with the Hanoi Medical University, has prepared training ahead of the first phase of clinical trials to test the effectiveness of the home-grown Covivac vaccine for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in mid-March.
 COVIVAC is Vietnam’s second COVID-19 vaccine candidate (Photo: VNA) |
Dr. Duong Huu Thai, director of the Institute of Vaccines and Medical Biologicals (IVAC), will be part of a research team receiving training on the testing process and the recruitment of volunteers who will participate in the first phase of human trials for Covivac, the nation’s second potential COVID-19 vaccine.
Ahead of the trials, Hanoi Medical University has prepared all necessary facilities for vaccine injections, volunteer monitoring, and emergency aid.
The representative from the Hanoi Medical University stated that the clinical trial area will be located on the third floor of the university’s dormitory, while all accommodation, medicines, and equipment for human trials has been prepared in line with standards set out by the Ministry of Health.
According to the schedule, volunteers will remain at the clinical trial area for a period of 24 hours after receiving their shots and will be subject to strict health observations by the research team.
Covivac is a homegrown vaccine that has been researched and developed by IVAC. Indeed, it will be the nation’s second COVID-19 vaccine to be clinically tested on humans.
The first shot of Covivac vaccine in the first phase of clinical trials will be given to volunteers by mid-March. According to the initial assessment, Covivac is effective against the new SARS-CoV-2 strain detected in the UK and South Africa. Moving forward, IVAC plans to offer the Covivac vaccine at a price of VND 60,000 per dose.
Meanwhile, as the first domestically-produced COVID-19 vaccine, Nanocovax, developed by Nanogen Pharmaceutical Biotechnology JSC, has now moved onto its second phase of human trials.