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Vietnam is expected to have the first Covid-19 vaccine, researched and produced by national scientists by the end of the third quarter of 2021, according to a representative from the Ministry of Health.
On the afternoon of March 22, the National Steering Committee for the Prevention of Covid-19 met, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam, to discuss the progress of vaccine research and development in the world and in Vietnam.
According to Mr. Nguyen Ngo Quang, Deputy Director of Science, Technology and Training (Ministry of Health), as well as other countries around the world, Vietnam researches and produces vaccines in an emergency to respond to epidemics.
In the past, 4 units from Vietnam have participated in this field, of which Nanogen Company’s Nano Covax Vaccine has completed the first phase of the clinical trial and is implementing the second phase.
The Covivac vaccine from the Institute of Medical Biology and Vaccines (IVAC) has begun a phase one clinical trial. The vaccine from the Number One Vaccine and Biological Company (Vabiotech) is preparing for phase one testing in April 2021.
According to Mr. Quang, the results of laboratory research in the preclinical stage, the clinical trial of the three vaccines are evaluated very well and promising. The development of the vaccine in the country fully complies with the process, the standards, urgently, shortening the time but without skipping any stage; ensure scientific conditions.
Nanogen Company employees have samples of Nano Covax in the laboratory in District 9, Ho Chi Minh City. Picture: Quynh Tran
With Nano Covax vaccineAfter the completion of the first phase of the clinical trial, all those injected were safe, produced high concentrations of antibodies with good protective effects, and were tested for efficacy in new variants of the virus (since the virus was discovered in the United Kingdom United). Quang said that in late April, there will be an evaluation of the results of the second phase of the clinical trial of this vaccine and “very optimistic prospects.” In early May, the Nano Covax vaccine will be tested in phase three.
Based on the results of the phase one and two tests, experts are optimistic that if favorable, by the end of the third quarter of 2021, the phase three tests will be completed, shortened by 3 months compared to the previous plan. In the past, the time for this second phase vaccine trial was shortened from six months to three months.
Covivac vaccine Although the first phase is only proven, through preclinical studies, the Ministry of Health and experts rated it as “very good quality”. In particular, the expected cost of this vaccine is very cheap (it is expected to be half the price of the vaccine currently on the market). Covivac tests are expected to be faster than Nano Covax.
About the Vabiotech vaccine, based on recombinant virus vector technology, it is another research direction, so there is a slower pace. So far the results in the vaccine laboratory are “very optimistic”, the first phase of the clinical trial is scheduled for early April this year. The advantage of this vaccine is that when it is developed successfully, it is possible to adjust quickly when there is a new variant of nCoV.
At the meeting, experts said that among the Covid-19 vaccines being used, one was authorized by the World Health Organization (WHO) or authorized by each country; the other is essentially a large-scale, three-stage experiment. Therefore, the WHO is discussing the intention to guide vaccine testing on the principle of comparison with vaccines that have been licensed for official use.
“This facilitates the third phase of the vaccine trial in Vietnam,” Quang said. The experts also said that if the third phase clinical trial is well organized to compare it with the vaccines that have been licensed for use in Vietnam, then “we are fully confident that we will have our vaccine next time. Vietnam.”
“It is expected that by the end of the third quarter of 2021, Vietnam will have the first vaccine researched and produced by national scientists to prevent and control Covid-19,” added Mr. Quang.
At the meeting, the leader of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirmed that they will provide maximum support to national units when phase three vaccines are tested abroad.
After hearing the comments, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam suggested that the units continue “with more urgency” in vaccine research and production. The deputy prime minister reiterated the scientists’ comments that VOC could continue to transform to survive a few more years. Therefore, it is likely that the vaccine will need to be repeated again, not once or a year.
“The population of Vietnam is 100 million people, so with solutions we must have a vaccine from Vietnam, which not only works against Covid-19, but also prepares us to face possible future epidemics,” said the vice-first Minister Vu Duc Dam.
