MERSING, Jan 31 — A total of 115 volunteers have been vaccinated under the third phase of a Covid-19 clinical study involving nine hospitals in five states.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba said that they were the earliest group from 3,000 volunteers comprising individuals above the age of 18 years who met the stipulated conditions and criteria.
He said the hospitals used as the sites for the study under the supervision of the Institute of Clinical Research were Ampang Hospital and Sungai Buloh Hospital in Selangor; Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital and Sultan Abdul Halim Hospital in Kedah; Penang Hospital and Seberang Jaya Hospital in Penang; Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital and Taiping Hospital in Perak; and the Sarawak General Hospital.
“The programme has just started three days ago after Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced the date (of the study) at the end of this month which will be conducted for 13 months.
“Continuous monitoring will be conducted to determine the effectiveness, safety and quality of the vaccine being developed,’’ he told reporters after visiting a cystic hygroma patient in Kampung Semaloi, Endau here, today.
Dr Adham said the remaining volunteers were expected to receive the injections in stages in four weeks’ time.
The third phase of the clinical study is being conducted in collaboration between Malaysia and China via the Institute of Medical Biology Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. — Bernama
