WHO solidarity vaccine trial may begin end-October — DOH
MANILA, Philippines — The clinical trial of candidate vaccines against coronavirus disease led by the World Health Organization may start in the Philippines by the end of October, the Department of Health said Friday.
The target start of the solidarity vaccine trial was scheduled on the last week of October.
The candidate vaccines that will be included in the trial will be identified by third or fourth week of September.
“About 34 na mga bakuna ang pinagpipiliian. But of course, they would be reducing this, kung ano lang ang karapat-dapat ‘yun lang ang isasama nila,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a media briefing.
Meanwhile, the trial sites will be known by end-September.
The agency, however, noted that the timeline of the clinical study is “subject to change depending on several factors and it is the WHO that will primarily determine adjustments and changes.”
According to Resolution 68 of the government’s inter-agency task force on COVID-19, the WHO solidarity vaccine trial will be prioritized in the assignment of trial zones.
It also said that vaccine recipients under the solidarity trial will be recruited from barangays with highest COVID-19 cases.
The government is currently in talks with various vaccine makers from other countries for possible independent clinical trials.
Vergeire said the government had already reviewed the documents submitted by Russia’s Gamalayera Institute, the maker of Sputnik V.
“We are just waiting for their response on the comments of our vaccine expert panel,” she said.
The number of coronavirus cases in the Philippines reached 248,947 as of Thursday.
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