FILE PHOTO: A small bottle labeled with a “Vaccine” sticker is held near a medical syringe in front of displayed “Coronavirus COVID-19” words in this illustration taken April 10, 2020. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic
MANILA, Philippines — The clinical trials in Cavite for two vaccines being developed against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) will start in two weeks, Cavite Governor Jonvic Remulla said Friday.
Remulla said the clinical trials will be spearheaded by the De La Salle Medical and Health Sciences Institute in coordination with the provincial government of Cavite.
“Cavite will help La Salle HSI in getting people to join the vaccine trial. We estimated that maybe up to 10,000 people will be involved in the trial and it should start in the next two weeks,” Remulla said in an interview on ABS-CBN News Channel.
Remulla said the provincial government has already identified people who will participate in the trials, including police officers, drivers of public utility vehicles, factory workers, and senior citizens who frequently leave their homes.
He said those aged 21 to 45 who are the “spreaders of the disease” will be the primary targets of the trials. Participation in the trials will be on a voluntary basis.
The clinical trials will not just be done for residents in a specific town but in areas throughout Cavite, according to Remulla.
He added that developers of the vaccine have assured its safety.
“We have been assured by the developers that clinically it’s not a dangerous vaccine. Efficacy is more of what they are targeting, whether or not [there will be difference on] the people who will get the placebo over the people who will get the vaccine if there is a difference in the infection rate,” he added.
Once the vaccines are administered, it will take a month and a half to see the efficacy of the vaccines, according to Remulla.
Remulla earlier announced that the vaccines to undergo clinical trials in Cavite were from two pharmaceutical giants from the United States and the United Kingdom.