TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Padjajaran University's (Unpad) team of researchers is speeding up the process of the clinical trial for a Covid-19 vaccine candidate by China's Sinovac. The Unpad team is doubling up the number of volunteers that are getting injected each week, as well as the medical staff.

Unpad Researchers' Team manager Eddy Fadlyana said every Tuesday is a medical check day, a process done to look for prospective volunteers who had passed the registration stage.

The medical tests included a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or swab test to detect if a volunteer has the DNA of the novel coronavirus disease. Their medical records and current conditions are also examined.

Every Friday, they are being injected with the vaccine candidate. "Today we are screening 250 people, if they pass, they will be injected on Friday," he said today, September 8.

Before, only 110 volunteers are examined and injected per week. The number of medical personnel is also doubled from 60 to 120.

Eddy said that 460 volunteers have now been injected with either the vaccine candidate or placebos. Every volunteer gets two injections—the second is 14 days after the first.

The team is targeting to have 540 volunteers injected by November, and 1,620 by December.

When asked about the government's plan to start mass vaccination in January, Eddy said that the decision lies in the hands of the Food and Drug Agency.

Read: Erick Thohir Keen to Expedite Mass Covid-19 Vaccination in 2020's End

ANWAR SISWADI