LIMA, Peru – Peru’s health ministry said on Saturday it had postponed a trial for the Chinese Covid-19 vaccine after a participant reported health problems.
The health ministry said a trial with 12,000 volunteers for China’s synopharm vaccine had been temporarily halted because it was investigating whether the vaccine was described as a “serious adverse event” in one of the participants. The hearing was expected to be completed in the coming days.
German Malaga, a health researcher at Haredia University in Cayetano, Lima, said that while the trial was going on, a volunteer presented with neurological problems, resulting in difficulty moving his legs. Dr Malaga told radio station RPP Noticias that he did not believe the health problem was due to the vaccine, but more information was needed.
“We are concerned about the situation, and we will do our best to ensure that it is done,” he said.
The UAE said this week that its own trial for the synoform vaccine showed it was 86% effective in protecting people from Covid-19.
The UAE trial involved 31,000 people. Analysis of its effectiveness against Covid-19 was based on strain of vaccine developed in Beijing. Another strain has developed in Wuhan.
In Peru, it is not clear which synoform strain was used in the country trial. A health ministry spokesman did not respond to requests for comment.
Peru has confirmed the deaths of Kovid – 19 to 36,500 people, giving it one of the highest per capita rates in the world.
In a country of 32 million people, a deal has been struck with Pfizer Inc.
To receive approximately 9.9 million doses of its Covid-19 vaccine. Government officials here hope that the first batch of the vaccine will be delivered around March or April.
Peru has also signed an agreement to receive a vaccine from an initiative backed by the World Health Organization, called Kovox. The program aims to distribute 2 billion vaccines to poor countries by the end of 2021.
Write to Ryan Dub at [email protected]
Copyright Pirate 20 2020 Dow Jones & Co., Inc. All rights reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8
.
