20 Volunteers to Try Sinovac Covid-19 Vaccine Candidate

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Covid-19 Vaccine Clinical Research Team from Padjadjaran University's (Unpad) Faculty of Medicine will hold its first vaccine trials on humans, Tuesday, August 11. Twenty volunteers will be injected with a vaccine candidate by Sinovac from China at the Unpad Education Hospital in Bandung.

President Joko Widodo is scheduled to attend and oversee the process.

Eddy Fadlyana, field manager of the Covid-19 Vaccine Clinical Trials Research Team, said they have conducted medical examinations on the 20 volunteers on Monday, August 10. The medical examinations included swab tests.

The team makes sure that every clinical trial volunteer, who will be injected with the vaccine candidate, are free of Covid-19 and have no history of infection. "If the results are positive, they will not be invited to come today but are referred to the Puskesmas," said Eddy.

Not all of the volunteers who will be injected with the actual vaccine candidate. Some will be given placebos filled with water.

President Joko Widodo plans to go to Bandung to see trial process. According to Eddy, the President plans to arrive at around 11:00.

"Only seven of the presidential entourage are allowed to enter, including the ministers," he said.

Meanwhile, in five other locations—Unpad Health Center and four Puskesmas—the clinical trial process will begin simultaneously today, August 11. No injection will be carried out yet, only the examination of prospective volunteers. Those who qualify will get the injections three days later starting 14 August, 2020.

Read also: First Day Scenario of COVID-19 Vaccine Clinical Trials in Bandung

ANWAR SISWADI (CONTRIBUTOR)