MANAMA — The Public Health Directorate at the Ministry of Health has announced the opening of volunteering opportunities to take part in the third phase of the COVID-19 Vaccine Clinical Trial.

The Abu Dhabi-based G42 Healthcare had extended the world’s first Phase III trials of an inactivated COVID-19 vaccine to a new center in Bahrain with the first volunteers being vaccinated in Bahrain.

The new phase of the #4Humanity trials will reinforce the ongoing collaboration between public health bodies in the UAE and Bahrain in combating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and increase the number of individuals who will participate in the trials.

The inactivated vaccine is pre-qualified by the World Health Organization and volunteers can register through the National Volunteer Platform.

The ministry revealed that the trial will enlist up to 6,000 volunteers, over the age of 18, and volunteers will have to undergo a health assessment prior to enlisting, as per the health requirements set by the approved protocols.

The Ministry of Health emphasized that the inactivated vaccine does not cause infection, but triggers an immune response producing antibodies that fight the virus, the effectiveness of the produced antibodies will be assessed as a measure of the success of the vaccine.

The ministry noted that the third phase of the vaccine’s clinical trial, conducted in partnership with the China-based pharmaceutical company, Sinopharm, has been approved by the National Health Regulatory Authority (NHRA).

It will involve administering the inactive vaccine to the selected volunteers, to study the effectiveness of antibody production and the acquired protection against the virus. The subjects that will take part in the trial will be constantly followed-up over a period of 12 months.

The ministry expressed its hope that the clinical trials within the Gulf State will be successful, given the outstanding results it has achieved in its first and second phases across various countries.

The new center that will be the third in the ongoing trials after those in the UAE at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center in Abu Dhabi and Al Qarain Health Center in Sharjah. This is an extension of current program in the UAE with the same vaccines used from Sinopharm, the world’s sixth largest vaccine producer, will be used in Bahrain.

G42 Healthcare CEO Ashish Koshy added: “It was always part of our original plan to open several centers to ensure the broadest impact and opportunity for individuals to participate and join the 4Humanity campaign. There has been a hugely enthusiastic response from the Ministry of Health and other public health bodies in Bahrain to work with us on the trials and to encourage their communities to volunteer in the trials.

“The expansion will also help to boost the overall numbers of people participating in the test to enable similar numbers to other international trials underway in nations with much larger populations. We are also anticipating an expansion of the our center network in the UAE to be announced shortly.” — SG