A male volunteer in Thái Bình Province being given the experimental COVIVAC COVID-19 vaccine, developed by Institute of Vaccines and Biological Medical (IVAC)  — VNA/VNS Photo Thế Duyệt

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam’s domestic COVIVAC coronavirus vaccine is being administered to volunteers from communes in the northern province Thái Bình as part of its ongoing phase 2 clinical trials.

Thái Bình is the only locality nationwide selected for the trial of the vaccine developed by the Institute of Vaccines and Biological Medical (IVAC) based in Nha Trang, Khánh Hoà Province.

About 80 volunteers in Minh Lãng, Việt Hùng and Bách Thuận communes in Vũ Thu District are expected to receive the first shot of the two-dose regimen.

The selected volunteers are above 18 years old, have no serious health issue or chronic disease, and women of child-bearing age must agree to use a birth control method for at least 28 days after the second jab.

COVIVAC is the second homegrown vaccine approved by the Ministry of Health for clinical trials, after Nano Covax by HCM City-based pharmaceutical company Nanogen, which is currently in phase 3 trials.

COVIVAC vaccines were given to 100 volunteers at Hà Nội Medical University during the first phase of clinical trials.

In the second phase, a total of 375 volunteers aged over 18 have been chosen and classified into three age groups – 18-39 years old, 40-59, and above 60.

Each group of 125 people will be administered a 3mcg or 6 mcg dosage or a dose of the AstraZeneca COVID vaccine as a control.

The research team expects to finish the injection of the first jabs on August 23, and the second shots will be administered 28 days later.

Their blood samples will be taken three times – before the jab, 14 days after, and six months after the second jab – to assess the level of antibodies against COVID-19 that the body produces to determine the vaccine’s effectiveness.

According to IVAC Director Dương Hữu Thái, the AstraZeneca vaccine is being used in place of a placebo as control, which will help compare the immunogenicity of the two vaccines.

Blood samples collected from the second phase will be sent to Canada for an independent evaluation. — VNS