ISLAMABAD: As 15,000 out of 18,000 volunteers inject the Chinese Covid-19 vaccine, its clinical trials are expected to conclude this month, and preparations begin to test another vaccine.
Dr. Javid Akram, vice president of the UHS and the Covid-19 Scientific Task Force, told that 15,000 people – 80 percent of the total volunteers – have been vaccinated and hope the trial ends in December.
Clinical trials of a Chinese vaccine in Pakistan started in September with an early sample of 10,000 volunteers. Though, this number was later increased to 18,000.
The vaccine is made from RNA (ribonucleic acid), and it will produce antibodies against mutations that prevent the virus from attaching to the lungs.
He said, “Although some of the volunteers who received the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine were hospitalized, there have been no Chinese vaccine incidents in Pakistan. Once the trials are completed, the vaccine registration process will begin. We will not waste a minute, because the country loses almost 100 lives. Every day is precious. “
When asked, Dr. Akram said that despite trials of three other vaccines, he hopes to start one in January 2021.
Moreover, he said, “This is an Australian insect-based vaccine and efforts are underway to obtain approval from the Pakistan Medicines Regulatory Authority (Drap) and the National Bioethics Committee (NBC).”
It is worth noting that NBC was formed on the recommendation of the disbanded Pakistani Medical Research Council in 2004 to address bioethics-related issues.
The insect vaccine sample size will be 13,000 volunteers.
Dr. Akram said, “The Australian vaccine will be alike to the Chinese vaccine because it also is injected and works on spikes. Though, it will be produced in the flies’ bodies, which is why it is called an insect-based vaccine.
He said the spread of the virus will stop once 75 percent of people were vaccinated across the country, and he hoped large quantities of the vaccine would be available in the second quarter of the year 2021.
He said: “By then, the vaccine will not only be available in the international market, but Pakistan will also receive it free of charge through Covax.”
Dr. Akram said, “We are part of the Covax Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), so the free vaccine will be available to 20% of our population,” adding that “we will also receive a Chinese vaccine that is being prepared in alliance with a Canadian partner.”
To read about vaccines in detail, visit: https://www.sirmaya.com/blog/successful-vaccines-for-covid-19/
