Over 400 participants recruited so far for SA's COVID-19 vaccine trial
The first potential vaccines were administered to some of the volunteers in the randomised trial a month ago. Others received a placebo.
CAPE TOWN - Over 400 participants have so far been enrolled in South Africa’s COVID-19 vaccine efficacy trial.
The first potential vaccines were administered to some of the volunteers in the randomised trial a month ago. Others received a placebo.
Local scientists hope to have a COVID-19 vaccine, that provides protection against the disease, available by the first quarter of next year.
Wits University has collaborated with the University of Oxford and the Oxford Jenner Institute on the South African COVID-19 randomised vaccine trial.
The aim is to have 2,000 participants enrolled in the Ox1Cov-19 Vaccine VIDA-Trial.
Wits University’s Doctor Clare Cutland said that currently, three trial sites in Gauteng were actively recruiting participants.
“Today, there have been over 700 volunteers who have attended clinic visits and consented to be screened for the trial,” Cutland said.
A Phase 1 trial of the same vaccine in the United Kingdom showed it was safe and prompted an immune response in participants.
Cutland was optimistic about the prospects of the vaccine candidate yielding positive results on home soil.
The trial would be rolled out at vaccination sites in the Western Cape from next week.
