Large scale Phase-3 clinical trials are currently underway in the UK (8000 participants) and Brazil (5000 participants) and are due to start in USA (30,000 participants), South Africa (2000 participants) as well as in India (10,000 participants).
4 more vaccines entering phase-3: WHO
As per WHO, apart from AZD1222, their are 4 other vaccines (out of the 24 candidate vaccines currently in clinical evaluation stages) that have entered phase-3 clinical trials, after successfully completing phases-1 and 2 (phases 1 and 2 evaluate safety, immunogenicity and efficacy of the vaccine in a small number of trial participants while in phase-3 the safety, immunogenicity and effectiveness of the potential vaccine is tested in a broader population - often multicountry - over a longer period of time).
Three of these are by Chinese companies, and one is being developed by an American firm Moderna Inc in collaboration with the US government's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of National Institutes of Health (NIH).
US-based biotechnology company Moderna, supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) is developing a potential coronavirus vaccine candidate mRNA-1273. In fact, Moderna was the first organization to start human trials of mRNA-1273 on March 16, 2020 - 5 days after WHO had termed COVID-19 as a pandemic. The initial phase-1/2 trial has shown promising results. Phase-3 trials are planned to begin this month (in July) on 30,000 participants in USA.
China's state-run Sinopharm Group Co is working on two COVID-19 vaccines being developed by its subsidiary China National Biotec Group Co. (CNBG). As reported by Bloomberg News, these two experimental vaccines are already being offered to employees of large state-owned companies who intend to travel overseas for work. Administering an investigational vaccine (that is still being evaluated in clinical trials) to people outside of the clinical trial protocol is unusual indeed. China National Biotec Group Co. (CNBG) is aiming to produce 200 million doses of inactivated COVID-19 vaccines a year.
China's Beijing-based Sinovac Biotech has also announced positive results from its Phase-1/2 clinical trials of its vaccine CoronaVac and will start phase-3 trials on 9,000 healthcare professionals working in COVID-19 specialised facilities in Brazil and on 4,200 healthcare workers of 7 COVID-19 dedicated hospitals in Bangladesh.
An ideal vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoronaVirus-2) should be safe and effective after one or two vaccinations; provide protection for a minimum of 6 months and protect old and young alike, including immunocompromised individuals and those with co-morbidities.
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