Reza Mahmud :
Internationally reputed Bangladeshi research organisation ICDDR,B got nod to conduct trial of a Chinese anti-Covid-19 vaccine on human body.
Bangladesh Medical Research Council has approved the trial of the Chinese vaccine.
Sources said that Chinese company Sinovac developed the vaccine named CoronaVac and to send ICDDR,B for its phase-3 trial in human body in Bangladesh.
As part of the preliminary process, ICDDR,B had applied to BMRC for permission to do the research work.
The BMRC has approved that. As per the normal procedure, the ICDDR,B and Sinovac have to sign a final agreement on the research work.
“The BMRC permitted the trial of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by the Sinovac,” Mahmud Uz Zaman, Director of the BMRCH said.
He said that the ICDDR,B will work with the Sinovac as partner.
According to source, the Sinovac had introduced the development work of an inactivated vaccine against coronavirus in January this year.
It has granted approval to conduct phase 1 and 2 clinical trials in China that began in April.
The phase 3 clinical trial to check the effectiveness and safety of the vaccine was already approved by several countries including Brazil.
Officials said the ICDDR,B is under process of completing other formalities with the Sinovac.
Sources said the trial may begin by August.
After final agreement agreed between ICDDR,B and the Sinovac, it will be decided who will be volunteers to get the vaccine first.
Some officials said that it may be examined with the health workers of eight government covid-19 dedicated hospitals in the country.
Public health experts expressed happiness at the news. They said, it will be a good news for the country as there are more than two lakh Covid-19 cases in the country.
“It will be very good news for Bangladesh if the trial be successful here. If it proves preventive it will be very much helpful for all,” Professor Dr. Nazrul Islam, former Vice-Chancellor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University told The New Nation on Sunday.
He said the vaccine may work in different ways on the human body in different places and environment.
“If any vaccine works 100 percent on a body of any European or a Chinese person, that may not work completely on a Bangladeshi people. So, the trial of the efficiency of the vaccine among Bangladeshi people will be helpful multiple ways,” the Professor said.
It will be helpful to prevent the fatal disease in the country, besides, the trial will be potential for further research work to develop more vaccines here.
He said as per the procedure of the developer institute, the antibody tests will be conducted after the stipulated time to the volunteers that how much antibody has been developed on their body.
“The researchers will take their initiatives after checking if the developed antibody is less or more or normal on the volunteer’s body after pushing the vaccine into them,” Professor Nazrul Islam said.
Earlier on June 21, Chinese Deputy Chief of Mission in Dhaka said that his country will prefer Bangladesh to give vaccine as early as it will be produced, as the country is close friend of China.
He said it after a high level Chinese medical delegations’ two week visit in Bangladesh.
