Three local volunteers were given a 50mcg dose of the Made-in-Vietnam novel coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine Nano Covax on December 26 at the Hanoi-based Military Medical Academy. 

The first three volunteers are given a 25mcg dose on Dec. 17 during
the human crinical trial of Nano Covax, a locally-made vaccine against COVID-19.

The trio are among a group of 20 volunteers who are scheduled to receive the 50mcg dose as part of the ongoing human clinical trial campaign which is being carried out by Nano Covax producer, Nanogen Pharmaceutical Biotechnology JSC, and the Military Medical Academy.

The three volunteers will remain under close scrutiny at the Academy over the course of the subsequent 72 hours. Providing that they stay healthy, the group’s remaining 17 volunteers will then receive a similar dose.

The first group of 20 volunteers received a 25mcg doze of Nano Covax on December 17 and have so far shown no signs of any negative side effects, with the exception of a mild temperature of less than 37.8 degrees Celsius.

“Based on the encouraging results, the Ministry of Health has permitted the Military Medical Academy to continue with the 50mcg injection on a further 20 volunteers,” said Major General, Prof. Dr. Hoang Van Luong, deputy director of the Military Medical Academy.

According to Gen. Luong, an additional group of 20 volunteers will subsequently be given a 75mcg dose of Nano Covax over the coming days in an effort to test the vaccine’s safety.

The first phase of the testing campaign involves the participation of 60 volunteers and will be finished following a six-week period. The Academy is now recruiting volunteers to take part in the second and third phases which are scheduled to start in March and August, 2021, respectively.

In addition to Nanogen, three other Vietnamese firms are in the process of researching and producing COVID-19 vaccines. They are the Company for Vaccine and Biological Production No1 (Vabiotech), the Institute of Vaccines and Biological Medical (Ivac), and the Centre for Immunization Vaccines (Polyvac).

It is anticipated that both Ivac and Vabiotech will test their COVID-19 vaccines on humans in March, 2021.