Vietnam’s homegrown Covid vaccine has 52 pct efficacy: manufacturer

Speaking at a meeting with the Ministry of Health’s Ethical Evaluation Committee in Biomedical Research on Wednesday, company executives said clinical trials showed that the protection was 86.7 percent for 42-90 days after being fully vaccinated with two doses, 78.5 percent after 120 days and 51.6 percent after 180 days.

The protection against severe progression was 92 percent, and the protection against death was 100 percent, they said.

Overall, for the entire study period, the vaccine’s protective efficacy was 52.1 percent, they said.

Most Covid-19 patients who had received the Nanocovax vaccine earlier had mild symptoms, while there were severe cases among the group that had gotten a placebo.

A committee member, who asked not to be named, told VnExpress that the outcome of the meeting was positive and the Ministry of Health would soon announce its conclusions on the vaccine.

On Dec. 16 the committee had assessed Nanocovax as meeting safety and immunogenicity requirements based on a report and results of phase three of the clinical trials.

It also allowed volunteers who got a shot of the vaccine during the trial to receive other vaccines for their second and third doses.

Nanogen sought approval for the emergency use of Nanocovax in June but has yet to get it.

The third human trial is still underway, with 14,000 volunteers receiving a 25-microgram dose.

By Wednesday 69.8 percent of Vietnam’s 96-million population had received two shots of vaccines.