Vietnam’s Covivac Now On Phase 2 Human Trials, More Vaccine Doses For HCMC

Vietnam’s Ministry of Health confirmed 9,340 new cases on Monday, raising the national patient tally to 219,745. 

The 4,185 new cases this evening were detected in Ho Chi Minh City (1,642), Binh Duong (1,162), Dong Nai (355), Tien Giang (251), Tay Ninh (133), Hanoi (74), Can Tho (71), Ba Ria - Vung Tau (65 ), Da Nang (60), Dong Thap (59), Phu Yen (53), Binh Dinh (45), Binh Thuan (34), Khanh Hoa (33), Lam Dong (30), Quang Ngai (18), Tra Vinh (15), Ha Tinh (15), Nghe An (12), Quang Nam (11), Ninh Binh (10), Thua Thien Hue (10), Hai Duong (7), Binh Phuoc (5), Quang Ninh Binh (3), Dak Lak (3), Hau Giang (3), Thai Binh (2), Kien Giang (1), Bac Giang (1), including 770 cases in the community.

As of Monday evening, MoH reported 360 additional deaths. The country’s current death toll is now at 3,757.

Phase 2 of Covivac

After Nanocovax, Vietnam's first homegrown COVID-19 vaccine achieved 90% protection efficiency, Vietnam announced the phase two human trials of Covivac, the country’s second locally-produced vaccine, starts August 10.

Starting tomorrow, the Institute of Vaccines and Medical Biologicals (IVAC) will begin recruiting volunteers for Covivac’s second phase of human trials.

IVAC Director Duong Huu Thai said that the second phase involves 375 volunteers who will be divided into two age groups — one aged above 18 and the other aged over 60. The volunteers will receive shots of varying doses: 3 mcg and 6 mcg. 

“Covivac underwent pre-clinical trials in India, the US, and Vietnam,” the IVAC Director said, adding that the results from those trials showed that the vaccine has satisfied all conditions for testing on humans.

A total of 120 volunteers aged between 18 and 59 participated in the first stage of Covivac human trials made by the IVAC in Nha Trang. They were then divided into five groups — 20 received the placebo, and 100 were injected with the vaccine at three different levels of 1, 3, and 10 micrograms.

An interim report sent to the National Council of Ethics in Biomedical Research assessed that the vaccine is safe, well-tolerated, and immunogenic across all age groups. 

As for Nanocovax, phase three of human trials is currently being carried out on 13,000 people in Hanoi, Hung Yen province, and the Mekong Delta provinces of Tien Giang and Long An.

More vaccine doses for HCMC

Following the reports of decreasing supply of vaccination doses, HCMC, the fourth wave’s epicenter and the source of almost half of the total daily cases, is expected to receive 600,000 AstraZeneca vaccine doses from Pasteur Institute to further expand the city’s mass inoculation drive.

The new batch of vaccines will be transferred to 21 districts and Thu Duc City on Monday, said Nguyen Hoai Nam, deputy director of the municipal Health Department.

As of Monday noon, the city has administered over 2.97 million vaccine doses. Launched on July 22, HCMC has been boosting the progress of its fifth vaccination program. 

Accordingly, the city is aiming to inoculate all people from 18 and above, including migrants and foreigners. During its four previous campaigns, HCMC had vaccinated just 991,322 people, with 48,107 getting two jabs.

The biggest city in Vietnam has been allocated the most vaccines among all localities, at more than four million doses. As of the latest, around 20% of the city's population have received their first COVID-19 vaccine doses, and 1% have been fully vaccinated.