By Chathushka Perera
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CWBN)_ According to local authorities, the CanSinoBio vaccine, developed in collaboration with the Beijing Institute of Biotechnology of the Academy of Military Medical Sciences, has already been administered to about 7000 of 10000 volunteers.
The trial began earlier in September after it was given the green light in August, when Phase III trials for the vaccine began, in order to counter the rapidly progressing Covid-19 pandemic. It is reported that volunteers are being paid USD 50 (about PKR 7950) for their participation.
Currently, Pakistan is reporting over 3000 cases a day with a total of over 389,000 cases and 7,897 deaths. According to the government, the country has experienced a 26.1% increment to the number of cases over the last seven days.
Subsequent to the outbreak of the pandemic in Wuhan, China, the vaccine’s development process was critically expedited. It’s Phase I trials began in March and ended in May, three weeks later the vaccine entered into Phase II trials, which came to an end in July.
Nonetheless, the Chinese military authorised the vaccine for use, categorizing it as an essential drug, as early as June, but it was not revealed whether or not military personnel were allowed to opt out.
Meanwhile Saudi Arabia and Russia are also signed up for the trials and was joined by Mexico in October. The inoculations in Russia were reportedly completed by the first week of November.
Edited by Elishya Perera
