Volunteers for Việt Nam's second COVID-19 vaccine, COVIVAC, apply for human trial participation at Hà Nội Medical University on Friday. — VNA/VNS Photo Minh Quyết

HÀ NỘI — Volunteers aged from 18-59 and living in Hà Nội, can register for human trials of Việt Nam’s second COVID-19 vaccine candidate COVIVAC from Friday morning.

In the first phase,150 healthy volunteers will be injected with two 5ml doses over 28 days.

They will be divided into five groups, including one group provided with placebo shots, and their health will be closely monitored within 24 hours after injections.

Each volunteer will have their health checked up to eight times in 12 months.

After 43 days since the first phase starts and shows good results, the second phase will be carried out at the medical centre of Thái Bình Province’s Vũ Thư District, with 300 volunteers.

The homegrown vaccine has been developed by the Nha Trang-based Institute of Vaccines and Medical Biologicals (IVAC) and the Hà Nội Medical University since last May, using primary chicken embryo cell culture, a technique the institute used previously to successfully produce seasonal flu vaccines.

COVIVAC has undergone pre-clinical trials in India, the US, and Việt Nam, said IVAC Director Dr. Dương Hữu Thái, adding that results showed that it satisfies all conditions to be tested on humans.

The vaccine candidate demonstrated high immunogenicity during pre-clinical trials. It was created based on studies of new SARS-CoV-2 strains.

This vaccine is expected to cost around VNĐ60,000 (US$2.59) per dose.

Volunteers can register to participate in the trial at the Hà Nội Medical University, submit applications to the email duoclylamsang@gmail.com or at the website https://duoclylamsang.vn, or call 02438523798-3188.

The first phase aims to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of the vaccine.

Each selected volunteers would receive a small compensation for each time they go to Hà Nội Medical University for examination, and after they receive the first and second jabs.

Việt Nam’s first COVID-19 vaccine to commence human trial, called Nano Covax and developed by the biopharmaceutical firm Nanogen, is slated to start production early 2022 if things go well. — VNS