If allowed to go forward, this could be the primary trial of any coronavirus vaccine in Bangladesh and will give the densely-populated nation of greater than 160 million sooner entry to the shot for mass use.
The vaccine, developed with the Indian Council of Medical Research, was given the inexperienced gentle for restricted use in India this month with none efficacy information from a late-stage trial. Early checks, nevertheless, discovered it to be secure and producing an immune response in people.
“We have acquired their proposal,” mentioned Mahmood-uz-Jahan, a director on the state-run Bangladesh Medical Research Council, including that its ethics committee would overview the appliance.
He declined to present particulars.
The Dhaka-based International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B), has utilized to run the trial on behalf of Bharat Biotech, mentioned a supply with direct information of the matter who declined to be named citing inner guidelines.
ICDDR,B declined to remark. Spokespeople for Bharat Biotech had no speedy remark.
Sinovac Biotech’s late-stage trial of a possible vaccine in Bangladesh has turn into unsure after Dhaka refused to satisfy the Chinese firm’s demand for co-funding.
Bharat Biotech began a late-stage trial for COVAXIN at dwelling in November and a prime Indian authorities vaccine official, Vinod Kumar Paul, has advised Reuters {that a} smaller examine involving 1,000-2,000 folks is also carried out in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh will from Thursday begin receiving thousands and thousands of India-made doses of one other vaccine licensed from Oxford University and AstraZeneca. It is being mass produced by the Serum Institute of India, the world’s largest vaccine maker.
Bangladesh, nevertheless, has no speedy plans to purchase COVAXIN whose efficacy information from the late India trial are anticipated by March.
“Our vaccine procurement is in fine condition. We are going to start out the vaccination within the first week of February,” Bangladesh Health Secretary Abdul Mannan advised Reuters.
“No plan to purchase from Bharat Biotech at current.”
Brazil is the one nation that has publicly introduced plans to purchase COVAXIN doses from India.
The firm on Thursday submitted an utility for the emergency use of the vaccine within the Philippines.
