Clinical trial of Chinese COVID-19 vaccine to begin in Pakistan by Sept. 20

ISLAMABAD – Parliamentary Secretary, National Health Services Regulations and Coordination Nausheen Hamid Wednesday announced that the National Institute of Health (NIH) in collaboration with China would conduct an initial clinical trials of inactivated novel coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines in the country from September 20. Talking to a private news channel , She said China on September 15 will supply a coronavirus vaccine candidate developed by a unit of the China National Pharmaceutical Group (Sinopharm) to Pakistan as part of a trial agreement. She said cost effective China-based Covid-19 vaccine supply in Pakistan would hopefully to start its trials from September 20 where we are providing proper trainings to our specialist for its use, adding, the Chinese companies are also carrying out these final trials in other countries hit by COVID-19. She said as many as 8 to 10, 000 volunteers were selected for initial clinical trials of Covid-19 from various ethnic groups. We will work closely with our partner to complete this clinical trial successfully, and make this vaccine available to the people in need worldwide, she added. She hoped that successful clinical trial in Pakistan will make it one of the few countries for the launch of Covid-19 vaccine.