Vietnam to test COVID-19 vaccine on the elderly

	World breaking news today (November 19): Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine shows 95 percent effective
	US bitotech firm: Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine is more than 94% effective
	Russia claims Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine is 92 percent effective

Do Tuan Dat, chair of VABIOTECH, said that in the coming time, some Covid-19 vaccine candidates will undergo clinical trials on humans, including the elderly (aged 60 and over). However, researchers will test the vaccines on low-risk subjects (18-59 years old) first, Vietnamnet reported.

Dat said vaccines have to be safe, so the researchers will choose the low-risk group of people to test first. If the test shows the vaccine is safe, the trial will be expanded to other subjects, including the elderly.

“The typical characteristic of SARS-CoV-2 virus is that it causes severe illness to the elderly and those with underlying medical conditions. Therefore, the elderly are considered the target of prevention and control of Covid-19,” he explained.

Dat went on to say that if Covid-19 vaccines cannot protect the elderly, they will not be considered sufficiently encompassing which to protect humans from the pandemic.

Vietnam will test COVID-19 vaccine on the elderly Photo: Vietnamnet

Some Covid-19 vaccine producers in other countries have tested vaccines on the elderly. The testing results show that safety is equivalent to the results of a trial on low-risk groups of people.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 8 out of 10 Covid-19 deaths reported in the country are people aged 65 and over. In Vietnam, of the 35 deaths caused by Covid-19 so far, most were elderly people with underlying diseases.

Experts explained that in the elderly, the function of body organs declines over time, while the immune system is more easily attacked by pathogens and bacteria can easily invade, causing respiratory diseases. When suffering from Covid-19, these people will have more severe complications than young people.

COVID-19 vaccine researchers at Vabiotech in Hanoi. Photo: Giang Huy/ VnExpress.

Meanwhile, the elderly often suffer from other diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, or high blood pressure. When infected with SARS-CoV-2, these chronic conditions may get worse.

Currently, as many as four units are developing and producing COVID-19 vaccine in Vietnam namely the Institute of Vaccines and Medical Biologicals (IVAC), the Company for Vaccine and Biological Production No 1 (VABIOTECH), Center for Immunization Vaccines under the Ministry of Health, and Nanogen Pharmaceutical Biotechnology JSC (NANOGEN).

Reuters: Vietnam chooses prevention rather than rushing for costly COVID-19 vaccine Reuters has recently published an article saying that Vietnam would continue to implement anti-COVID-19 measures as it has done instead of rushing to secure a ...

Pfizer and BioNTech face challenges following announcement about Covid-19 vaccine effectiveness Germany-based biotech firm, Pfizer and BioNTech, announced that their Covid-19 vaccine showed more than 90% effective, fueling hope for successful preventing infection to human. However, ...

Russia’s Sputnik V is over 90 percent effective A representative of the Russian Health Ministry said on Monday that its Sputnik V vaccine is more than 90 percent effective in COVID-19 treatment, just ...