20th of July, 2020. Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Last updated: July 20, 2020 at 13:53 pm9000 persons from across Brazil have volunteered for the third phase of testing of Coronavax – which the Brazilian Health Authorities expect to be available by the end of this year.
Earlier this morning, Monday, 20th of July, 2020, the first batch of coronavirus vaccine arrived for testing in Brazil. The vaccine, called “Coronavax,” was produced in China by the Chinese company “Sinovac Biotech.” It arrived in Sao Paulo, Brazil, this morning at around 4:20 AM at the Cumbica Airport in Guarulhos in the Metropolitan Region of Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Testing of the vaccine has commenced today, Monday 20th in Brazil and is expected to run for three months at the Butantan Institute in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The Natonal Research Ethics Commission of Brazil has already authorized the testing process.
The application process for volunteers in the phase 3 testing began last Monday, 13th of July, 2020. Nine thousand volunteers recruited over the last week during the application process will take part in the clinical trial which represents phase 3 of the testing and is done to determine the safety and efficacy of the vaccine. The participants of the testing are from Sao Paulo, Rio Grande do Sul, Minias Gerias, Parana and the Federal District.
Participants in the testing should not have been previously infected with the coronavirus and must not have participated in other similar tests. Further, women volunteers cannot be pregnant or expect pregnancy within the next 3 months.
Mr. Dimas Covas, the director of Butantan, who is leading the study of Coronavax in Brazil, has said that it is one of the most promising in the world and that he expects it should be available for use by the end of 2020 or very early in 2021.
A similar test is being carried out with the vaccine developed by the University of Oxford (England), in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.
Related: Coronavirus Report by Country
