Human Clinical Trial Of COVID-19 Vaccine "Covaxin" Begins At UP Hospital

J&J's vaccine uses a common cold virus known as adenovirus type 26 or Ad26 to ferry coronavirus proteins into cells in the body, causing the body to mount an immune defense against the virus.

All 20 animals that received the sham vaccine became infected and showed high levels of virus in their lungs and nasal swabs.

A group of scientists led by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) immunologist Dan H. Barouch is developing a single-shot vaccine for COVID-19.

They conducted a study in 52 NHPs, immunizing 32 adult rhesus macaques (monkeys) with a single dose of one of seven different versions of the Ad26-based vaccine, and giving 20 animals sham vaccines as placebo controls.

The British government, in the meantime, has signed a deal with pharmaceutical giants GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Sanofi Pasteur for 60 million doses of a potential Covid-19 vaccine if the tests prove to be successful. Six weeks after the immunization, all animals were exposed to SARS-CoV-2.

Mike Ryan, executive director at the World Health Organisation, said earlier this months that "there is a long way to go" before the world gets its first approved vaccine.

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The trial began at Rana Hospital and Trauma Centre, which is among the 12 institutes selected for clinical trials of the vaccine.

Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko also said Gamaleya Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, a state research facility in Moscow, had completed clinical trials of the vaccine and paperwork is being prepared to register it.

However, Russia is yet to release the scientific data on its coronavirus vaccine trials, hence, questions remain about the safety and efficacy of the vaccine, said the report.

The minister, who did not give details about the vaccine to be used, said doctors and teachers would be the first to be vaccinated.

The company said it is looking to begin the last phase of tests in September and that 1,045 people will participate in the trial.