A volunteer is tested with the Covivac vaccine. Photo: Thuy Hanh

On the morning of March 23, 15 volunteers were injected with the vaccine at the Center for Clinical Pharmacology of the Hanoi Medical University. On March 25, 15 others will be vaccinated.

Thus, by the end of this week, 36 volunteers will have been injected with Covivac vaccine.

Dr. Vu Dinh Them, Director of the Center for Clinical Trials of the Central Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, said that the first six volunteers who were injected with this vaccine on March 15 are in good condition.

Some 30 minutes after vaccination, some had mild reactions such as pain at the injection spot, or a headache. After a week, the six volunteers returned to hospital to get blood test and check of liver and kidney function. All indicators were stable. They wilm be injected with the second dose after 20 days.

Doctor Thiem said that only 15 people are injected each time because the overnight stay after injection can only accommodate 15 beds. As a rule, volunteers must stay at hospital to be monitored for the first 24 hours after vaccination.

In phase 1, Covivac vaccine will be tested on 120 volunteers aged 18-59. The trial is jointly conducted by the Central Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology and the Hanoi Medical University from March 15 to April 20.

As many as 120 volunteers are divided into five groups: three groups to be vaccinated with vaccines without adjuvants, including three types of 1mcg, 3mcg and 10mcg; one group to be vaccinated with the dose of 1mcg vaccines, including adjuvants; and one group of 20 people who are injected with a placebo.

Covivac vaccine, produced by IVAC, is the second locally-made Covid-19 vaccine under clinical trials. The production of this vaccine use NewCastle vector technology.

The preclinical study showed that Covivac vaccine could prevent both British and South African strains.

The finished product price of this vaccine is only about VND60,000 (less than $3) per dose.

Thuy Hanh

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