Do Tuan Dat, chair of VABIOTECH, said that in the time to come, 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.

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.

Some Covid-19 vaccine producers in other countries have tested vaccines on the elderly. The testing results show that the 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 decline 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.

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.

Vietnam has four units that are researching and developing vaccines against Covid-19, 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).

Before any vaccine is put into use in the community, it must go through a standard 5-stage process:

Stage 1: Research, evaluation, and selection of vaccine. This work is performed entirely in the laboratory.

Stage 2: Pre-clinical assessment on animals.

Stage 3: Clinical evaluation through three stages on humans at different scales.

Stage 4: Licensing vaccines for circulation.

Stage 5: Follow up after licensing.

The number of Covid-19 cases in Vietnam by the afternoon of November 18 had reached 1,300. 

Thu Ha

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