Human trials of locally made Covid-19 vaccine to begin in October

Surpassing earlier predictions that human trials of a locally manufactured Covid-19 vaccine could begin as early as the end of the year, Thailand will conduct the first human trials of its vaccine candidate in October, after trials on monkeys produced satisfactory results, with high level of immunity being detected in the animals. The minister for higher education, science, research and innovation made the announcement in a Facebook post today.

He says the next step is to recruit volunteers in August and September for human trials of the mRNA vaccine, which was jointly developed by the Vaccine Research Centre of Chulalongkorn University and the Office of National Research.

He wrote that that the second dose of the vaccine candidate in monkeys, at the National Primate Research Centre in the central province of Saraburi, showed that it boosted immunity in the animals to an “efficacious level.”

“Researchers have analysed blood samples from the monkeys, to assess the level of antibody. It is good news that the monkeys have developed a substantial level of immunity.”

All the monkeys are in good health, without side effects, 2 weeks after they were given the second dose on June 22.

SOURCE: Thai PBS World