Trials for Nanocovax, Vietnam’s first Covid-19 vaccine, began on Dec. 17 with 60 volunteers signing up for the first phase. By Wednesday, 40 have been injected with 25 mcg and 50 mcg doses, said Do Quyet, director of the university, where the trials took place.

The other 20 first phase volunteers would be injected with the 75 mcg doses next.

So far, 50-75 percent of volunteers have only shown small side effects like light fevers or pain at the time of injection, which are of no medical concern, said Chu Van Men, director of the Center for Clinical Trials and Bioequivalence under the Vietnam Military Medical University, as cited by Nguoi Lao Dong.

The vaccine has so far been deemed safe, but whether it would be effective in preventing Covid-19 has yet to be confirmed.

Nanocovax, produced by the Nanogen Pharmaceutical Biotechnology JSC, would need to undergo three human trial phases before it could be distributed. The first phase would be performed on 60 volunteers between 18-50 years of age, with inoculation performed with a two-dose schedule 28 days apart.

The second phase is scheduled to start in 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.

All phases are expected to be completed by February 2022.

Vietnam currently has three other Covid-19 vaccines under development 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 country has plans to import vaccines too.

IVAC and Vabiotech’s vaccines are expected to enter human trials in early 2021.

Globally, around 40 countries and territories have started human trials of their own Covid-19 vaccines, according to Quyet.

Vietnam has recorded 1,456 Covid-19 cases so far, with 95 still active and 35 deaths. No community transmission has been recorded in nearly a month.