Government clears third phase of vaccine testing with 9,000 volunteers

The National Sanitary Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) authorized the third and final round of testing of a prospective Covid-19 vaccine developed by Chinese biological institute Sinovac Biotech. The third phase will conduct testing on 9,000 volunteers across four Brazilian states, including Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, and the Federal District.

According to São Paulo Governor João Doria, vaccines will be administered starting on July 20 on active health workers that have not yet contracted the coronavirus. The trials are being conducted in partnership with São Paulo’s Butantan Institute. If proven effective, Brazil will receive 60 million shots in early 2021. Sinovac’s vaccine is one of three prospective inoculations worldwide to have reached the third round of trials, when mass testing is conducted on humans.

Brazil in the Covid-19 vaccine race

Another promising study led by Oxford University and drugmaker AstraZeneca is also conducting its final round of testing in Brazil, as 5,000 volunteers began receiving the prospective vaccine midway through June.

The federal government has already established a partnership with AstraZeneca’s vaccine to subsidize part of the development, with 30.4 million shots expected to be available by the end of 2020. There are as of yet no indications that the vaccine will be successful, making the investment a huge gamble by the Brazilian government.

As previously reported by The Brazilian Report, Brazil has been a sought-after testing ground for developing Covid-19 vaccines due to its still rising rate of infection spread. It also means the country can position itself as one of the first to receive the much-coveted vaccine, as it currently has ongoing human trials for two of the three most advanced vaccine studies in the world. 

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