Over 500 registered for Covid-19 vaccine clinical trial

KUCHING: More than 500 individuals have registered their interest to be volunteers in the Covid-10 vaccine clinical trial, said state health director Dr Chin Zing Hing.

However, he pointed out that not all those who registered for the clinical trial will be selected.

“So far the response is good. It has been very encouraging,” he said when contacted yesterday on public response to the Sarawak Health Department’s invitation on Jan 6 for 400 volunteers to take part in the vaccine trial.

Dr Chin had earlier stressed that the vaccine trial is part of a national effort to eradicate Covid-19.

He said although it was earlier announced that the clinical trial was expected to start in early to mid-January, the trial proper may commence at end of this month.

“At present, it appears to be on schedule to commence at the end of January, but this situation remains very fluid in view of the current pandemic situation here in Malaysia and all around the world,” he explained.

“Despite the encouraging public response, there is still a formal process of inviting the potential participants in, for them to discuss further details of the clinical trial, and for us to address any of their concerns before they formally consent to participate as a clinical trial subject,” he added.

Dr Chin said the public will know the results of the trial when announced by the sponsor, the Institute of Molecular Biology of China Academy of Medical Sciences (IMBCAMS), or when published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.

“The official trial results typically are first published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal. It may then be subsequently reported in the mainstream press or news channels,” he said.

Malaysia is one of the countries selected by IMBCAMS to collaborate with them in the field of medical science during this pandemic, and allocated 3,000 subjects for this clinical trial.