ADDIS ABABA – First inactivated COVID-19 vaccine enters 2nd phase of clinical trial. The whole world is expecting a COVID-19 vaccine that could possibly end the pandemic that has killed more than 335,000 people.
Now the first vaccine candidate from China has finished its phase-1 trial on humans, and the results have been put online for everyone to examine.
The Lancet, a respected medical journal in the UK, published the results on Friday saying it is “safe” and “induces rapid immune response.”
The research injected the potential vaccine into 108 volunteers. They were divided into three groups, each taking a different dose of the vaccine.
The vaccine, classified as “recombinant adenovirus type-5 vectored” (Ad5-nCoV), acts as a natural infection and is especially good at teaching the immune system how to fight the virus. During the next 28 days, no serious reactions were found, meaning the vaccine seemed to be tolerable by humans.
Also, antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 started to surge two weeks after the injection and reached its peak on day 28.The vaccine “warrants further investigation,” the paper on The Lancet concluded. A phase-2 clinical trial has started with 508 volunteers involved.
The trial was conducted by a team led by Chen Wei, a biology professor from Academy of Military Medical Sciences and a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. There are other two vaccines allowed for human trials in China. They are ShaCoVacc and PiCoVacc.
The Ethiopian herald may 26/2020
BY STAFF REPORTER
