China launches first clinical trial of Coronavirus vaccine

The first clinical trial of the novel coronavirus vaccine in China has begun. The phase 1 clinical trial for recombinant novel coronavirus vaccine was registered on March 17, according to the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry.

The COVID-19 vaccine was jointly developed by the Institute of Biotechnology, the Academy of Military Medical Sciences of the People’s Liberation Army and CanSino Biologics Inc.

The trial is being conducted on 108 healthy adults ages of 18 to 60. It is thought to be the first China-made novel coronavirus vaccine being tested on humans.

On March 21, Ren Chao, a volunteer from Wuhan, posted a video clip showing him being injected with the vaccine candidate on the Chinese video-sharing platform Douyin. “It’s all worth it if my participation can help people not having to wear masks and seeing each other’s smile,” he wrote in the post.

Ren said he heard volunteers were needed for the clinical trial of the vaccine on March 17 and underwent full medical examinations the next day. “It’s something that I’m proud of. Of course, I feel a little bit nervous about the trial, but I trust the scientists,” he said.

The volunteers will receive a series of follow-up examinations in the six months after being injected to see if their bodies have generated an antibody to the virus, according to the registry.