Coronavirus

Sinovac Biotech begins Covid-19 vaccine trials in Brasília

Sinovac Biotech begins Covid-19 vaccine trials in Brasília
Image: UnB

Sinovac Biotech, a privately held Beijing-based lab, commenced phase three trials at the University of Brasília Hospital (HUB) on Wednesday. The Chinese lab initially administered the potential vaccine to five volunteer health workers.

The company is expected to administer two complimentary shots of the vaccine to a total of 850 volunteers over the next few months. Nationally, Sinovac Biotech is partnering with the São Paulo-based Butantan Biological Institute to hold trials on 9,000 volunteers in Brazil, as previously reported by The Brazilian Report in June. The city of São Paulo began its phase three trial on June 11.


The Sinovac prospective vaccine is one of six Covid-19 vaccines worldwide currently in phase three, which involves large-scale trials for efficacy and safety in humans. The signs are positive so far. During phases one and two, the vaccine induced active antibodies in 90 percent of participants, albeit on a much smaller testing scale. The vaccine is expected to be available for public use in Brazil by the first half of 2021.

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