Staff Reporter :
The government has finally permitted icddr,b to run the Phase-3 trial of the Chinese vaccine for Covid-19 that is expected to come to market by November.
Health minister Zahid Maleque said this on Thursday while talking to journalists at the conference room of the ministry in the Secretariat.
“We have given an approval for the human trial for Covid-19 vaccine after examining all necessary research protocols,” said the minister.
Earlier, the minister held a meeting with the icddr,b officials. High officials of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare were present at the meeting, source said.
“We have decided that doctors, nurses and health workers will get priority for the vaccine trials,” the minister said. “The Chinese company will bear the cost of the vaccine and trial process.”
Chinese citizens who are working in Bangladesh will also participate in the vaccine trial, he added.
International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), and the inventor Chinese company-Sinovac Research and Development Limited-will jointly conduct the trials.
“As far as I understand, we will not be able to get a vaccine before December or January. Already 140 companies and organizations are working to manufacture the Covid-19 vaccine,” Zahid said. “Hopefully we will get Covid-19 vaccine from WHO (World Health Organization) by June 2021. We have already applied to the WHO to get the vaccine on a priority basis,” he added.
Scientists globally are racing to find a way to stop to the virus that has infected more than 23 million people and claimed over 800,000 lives. Six vaccine candidates have started Phase 3 clinical trials-the last step of testing to prove efficacy and safety before seeking approval from regulators-and three are Chinese.
CoronaVac, a Covid-19 vaccine candidate produced by China’s Sinovac Biotech, is one of the six vaccines worldwide that have entered Phase 3 clinical trials.
CoronaVac’s last-stage trials are being rolled out in Brazil and Indonesia with about 11,000 volunteers.
In Bangladesh, Sinovac’s Covid-19 vaccine trail will be conducted at: Mugda General Hospital, two units (unit 1 and 2) of Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Kurmitola General Hospital, Holy Family Red Crescent Medical College Hospital, Kuwait Bangladesh Friendship Government Hospital and Mohanagar General Hospital.
Around 4,200 healthcare workers of these hospitals will be vaccinated during the trial period, according to sources.
On July 19, Bangladesh Medical Research Council (BMRC) extended ethical approval for phase-3 trial of Covid-19 vaccine by Sinovac Biotech Ltd.
