Fifty mice in the lab remain healthy 10 days after being administered Covid-19 candidate vaccine produced in Vietnam, and serum samples testing for antibody response at the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology showed high immunity, VnExpress reported.

The indicators show the initial success of the candidate vaccine, is being developed by Company for Vaccine and Biological Production No.1 (VABIOTECH) under the Ministry of Health.

A technician takes a standard blood sample to test for antibody response of Vietnamese Covid-19 candidate vaccine. Photo: VABIOTECH

Mac Van Trong, a member of the research team at VABIOTECH, said that the Covid-19 vaccine is highly immunogenic.

"This is the basis for the development of a vaccine," said Dr. Nguyen Le Khanh Hang, deputy head of the Virus Department under the Central Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology.

In the next stage, the candidate vaccine will be developed into a qualified vaccine for human use. The team will build a commercial production process that can manufacture millions or even tens of millions of doses.

"It takes 9-12 months to produce a complete vaccine, but we are working hard to shorten this time. However, compared to the 10-year average of a normal vaccine research, taking 18-24 months to develop a vaccine is really a very significant achievement," said Trong.

Dr. Do Tuan Dat, president of Hanoi-based VABIOTECH, explained that the team had used viral vector technology instead of traditional inactivated or attenuated vaccine technologies. This is a new and versatile technology, with high efficiency.

"Thanks to donation, VABIOTECH upgraded the Bioreactor cell culture system, purchased nearly 10 years ago. This new generation model is more adaptable to the virus vector technology we are using," Dat said.