So far, all volunteers have not complained of painBandung, W Java (ANTARA) - The Indonesian health authority in Bandung City confirmed that 110 volunteers of the phase III clinical trials of the Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine are in good health after being administered the vaccine on Aug 14.
"So far, all volunteers have not complained of pain," Head of the Disease Prevention and Control Unit at Bandung City's Health Office Rosye Arosdiani Apip informed local journalists on Tuesday.
However, their health condition is being constantly monitored by the local health workers and members of the Padjadjaran University's (Unpad's) Clinical Trials of the Sinovac COVID-19 Vaccine, Apip confirmed.
The first batch of volunteers participating in the phase III clinical trials received the vaccine injections at Unpad's Health Center and Faculty of Medicine as well as the Garuda, Ciumbuleuit, Dago, and Sukapakir Public Health Centers, she remarked.
In the first batch, one volunteer failed to participate in the clinical trial at the Garuda Public Health Center after receiving a reactive result in his rapid test, Apip revealed.
As of Aug 16, a total of 1,866 volunteers had registered in Bandung to participate in the phase III clinical trials of the Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine, according to a spokesman of the Padjadjaran University's research team for the clinical trials.
"Our people have shown their enthusiastic response," spokesman of the Padjadjaran University's Research Team for Clinical Trials of Sinovac COVID-19 Vaccine, Rodman Tarigan, noted.
Registration for partaking as volunteers will be opened until Aug 31 to obtain 1,620 registrants meeting all required criteria for being able to participate in the clinical trials, he stated.
The registration will be terminated if the required number of volunteers is achieved, Tarigan noted, adding that the research team members will conduct a series of examinations to confirm if the registrants met the criteria.
State-owned pharmaceutical holding company Bio Farma recently collaborated with Chinese company Sinovac to produce the COVID-19 vaccine for Indonesia. The COVID-19 vaccine material from Sinovac arrived in Indonesia on July 19.
Novel coronavirus infections initially surfaced in the Chinese city of Wuhan at the end of 2019.
Since then, COVID-19 has spread to over 215 countries and territories, including 34 provinces of Indonesia, with a massive spurt in death toll.
To tackle this COVID-19 pandemic, Indonesia is leaving no stone unturned to develop a vaccine to fight the virus.
Currently, in addition to the Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine, Indonesian scientists are working on a vaccine named after the country's national flag, Merah Putih (Red and White).
Related news: COVID-19 vaccines included in Indonesia's research priorities: govt
Related news: Indigenous vaccine in the making
EDITED BY INE
Translator: Bagus AR, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
Copyright © ANTARA 2020
