In Vietnam, trials of a COVID-19 vaccine in monkeys have begun. Vabiotech, under the Ministry of Health, has begun trials on 12 rhesus monkeys. It is a species of monkey from the Macacmulatta family. The tests took place on Rêu Island in the northern province of Kuong Ninh. Confirmed tests were performed on October 27th.
The monkeys are between three and five years old and weigh over three kilograms each. The subjects were checked and they are not infected with any diseases. After vaccination, the monkeys will be monitored for three months. Then blood samples will be taken from them. They will be sent to Hanoi for further analysis.
The monkeys will be tested in two periods. In each period they will be divided into two groups: one is vaccinated and the other is not vaccinated. Thereafter, they will be monitored daily on selected islands.
Testing will follow a similar model that can be done in humans. The animals are injected with the vaccine twice with an interval of 18-21 days.
One month after the second injection, researchers will assess their immunity. This will allow you to see the difference between the treated and non-administered groups. In June, Vabiotech tested the vaccine in mice.
The results of testing in monkeys will form the basis for the next phase and a proposal to test the vaccine in humans.
New Opportunities for COVID-19 Testing
A total of 22 medical facilities in Ho Chi Minh City have been approved by the Ministry of Health to conduct tests for COVID-19. These include 17 state medical institutions, three private hospitals and veterinary offices 6 and 7.
FV Hospital, GiAn 115 Hospital and Hoàn Mỹ Sài Gòn General Hospital are private hospitals.
The state ones are as follows:
Ho Chi Minh Pasteur Institute Public Health InstituteSouth Military Center for Preventive MedicineChợ Rẫy HospitalUniversity Medical CenterMedical Laboratory Quality Control CenterThống Nhất HospitalMilitary Hospital 175, City Center for Disease ControlTropical Disease HospitalChildren's Hospital 1City Children's Hospital
The city's health department has asked healthcare providers to support testing capabilities. All centers must strictly adhere to Ministry of Health regulations regarding sampling, testing procedures and reporting to health authorities.
City general hospitals, which are unable to provide real-time RT-PCR tests, should prepare before the end of this year.
The Ministry of Health has set the maximum cost for a PCR test at VND 734,000 per sample, and for express diagnostics at VND 238,000.
Source: Viet Nam News. Translation: Anna Boyko.