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LIMA: Peru temporarily suspended clinical trials of a Covid vaccine made by Chinese pharmaceutical giant Sinopharm after detecting neurological problems in one of its test volunteers.
The National Institute of Health said on Friday it had decided to interrupt the trial after a volunteer had difficulty moving his arms, according to local media.
“Several days ago we pointed out, as required, to regulatory authorities that one of our participants (in the trials) had neurological symptoms that could correspond to a condition called Guillain-Barré syndrome,” said lead researcher Germán Málaga in comments to the press.
Guillain-Barré syndrome is a rare, non-contagious disorder that affects the movement of the arms and legs. Peru declared a temporary health emergency in five regions in June last year after multiple cases.
In the 1970s, a campaign to vaccinate Americans against a supposedly devastating strain of swine flu was halted after 450 of those vaccinated developed the syndrome, which can also cause paralysis.
Peru’s clinical trials for the Sinopharm vaccine were due to conclude this week, after testing about 12,000 people.
If they are successful, which will not be known until mid-2021, the Peruvian government was expected to purchase up to 20 million doses to inoculate two-thirds of its population.
60,000 worldwide have already taken the Sinopharm vaccine, including volunteers in Argentina, Russia and Saudi Arabia.
Peru has one of the highest per capita death rates in the world from the virus, which as of Friday had caused 36,499 deaths and 979,111 infections.
The pandemic has hit the South American country’s economy hard, with GDP plummeting more than 30% in the second quarter.
