First three volunteers injected with Vietnam Covid-19 vaccine all healthy

The anonymous volunteers, including two 20-year-old students and a 40-year-old teacher, were vaccinated on Thursday morning at Vietnam Military Medical University in Hanoi as Vietnam officially began human trials of the vaccine developed by Nanogen Pharmaceutical Biotechnology JSC.

After 72 hours, they were in stable condition, with no abnormal signs detected, the Health Minstry said Sunday. The trio will return home and be monitored by medical staff.

Vietnam Military Medical Academy is scheduled to administer the vaccine to the remaining 57 volunteers who had registered for the first phase trial on Monday.

"I feel happy to be a part of this important moment and want to contribute to society as the Covid-19 pandemic rages across the world," the female teacher said, as quoted by Giao Thong newspaper under the transport ministry.

The human trial of Nanocovax would pass through three phases.

For the first phase, volunteers 18-50 years of age are divided into three random groups to receive three doses of 25 mcg, 50 mcg, and 75 mcg of the vaccine or a placebo. The vaccination consists of a two-dose schedule 28 days apart.

The second phase is scheduled to start within February next year and last until August, with 400-600 volunteers aged 12-75 vaccinated, while the third phase is expected to see participation of up to 30,000 volunteers.

"Success of the trial would boost the pride of the health sector and serve as an effective tool against Covid-19," Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Duc Dam said as he visited the first three volunteers Sunday.

Three-phase human trials of the first made-in-Vietnam Covid-19 vaccine is scheduled to complete in February 2022.

Vietnam currently has four Covid-19 vaccines under development, the other three by the Institute of Vaccines and Medical Biologicals (IVAC), Vaccine and Biological Production Company No. 1 (Vabiotech), and the Center for Research and Production of Vaccines and Biologicals (Polyvac).

The vaccines developed by IVAC and Vabiotech are expected to enter human trials in early 2021. Vietnam also has plans to import Covid-19 vaccines.

Thanks to strict quarantine and tracking measures, Vietnam has managed to contain its Covid-19 outbreaks with total infections at 1,413 and 35 deaths.