Second Vietnam-made COVID-19 vaccine ready for human trials in 2021

Illustrative image. Photo: VNA

Thai told local media recently that the COVID-19 vaccine produced by IVAC has proved its safety and effectiveness on animals.

Ivac is expected to submit a final clinical trial dossier in December and is scheduled to begin human trials in March 2021, said Thai.

“Our vaccine is in the research stage, without specific results to ensure it is 100% successful, but we are confident it is,” he affirmed.

Vietnam currently has four COVID-19 vaccines produced by Nanogen, Vabiotech, Polyvac and the Institute of Vaccines and Medical Biologicals (IVAC) currently under research.

 Ivac, Vabiotech, and Nanogen, have completed the relevant COVID-19 vaccine production process at a laboratory scale and are now evaluating the vaccines’ safety and immunity on animals.

Nanogen alone is working together with the Military Medical Academy to recruit volunteers for the first phase of clinical trials which will run on December 10.

If the clinical tests are successful, Nanogen’s vaccine will be commercially marketed in four months’ time.

The company is expected to produce up 20 million doses every month.

Nanogen’s vaccine is said to cost USD 5 for one shot, and a person needs a two shot regimen which is effective against COVID-19.

As of December 8 afternoon, Vietnam reported 693 locally-transmitted COVID-19 cases.

A total of 1,224 COVID-19 patients have fully recovered. The fatalities still stand at 35.

Among those under treatment, eight have tested negative for the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) once, four twice and five thrice.

There are 20,262 people who had close contact with COVID-19 patients or arrived from pandemic-hit areas being quarantined across the country.

As the new locally-transmitted COVID-19 cases have been brought under control, more than 6,000 students in Ho Chi Minh City have returned to school after being allowed to stay home for several days to prevent the spread of the disease.

The schools were asked to seriously adopt anti-pandemic measures as required by the Health Ministry, such as conducting body temperature checks, disinfection and wearing masks.

Pham Tu