Wits University is collaborating with University of Oxford, Oxford Jenner Institute on trial
The first vaccine trial for the treatment of COVID-19 started in South Africa on June 24. The trial started in Johannesburg and Pretoria and will spread gradually to other parts of the country. The vaccine developed by the Jenner Institute of the Oxford University (UK) will inoculate two thousand South Africans. South Africa has the most developed medical infrastructure in Africa and hence it is appropriate to begin trial in the country.
Trials of the vaccine by Jenner Institute are taking place in South Africa, Brazil, and UK. According to the World Health Organization, there are 220 vaccine candidates in development Thirteen candidates are in clinical trials, out which, 5 are being trailed in China, 3 in the United States, 2 in UK, including that developed by the Jenner Institute, and one each in Germany, Russia, and Australia. The Jenner vaccine is currently manufactured in the United States but, the production is expected to shift to UK in the autumn.
South Africa has been hardest hit African country by the virus. As of June 24, there were 111,796 cumulative cases, among which, around 57,000 have recovered, so there are about 53,000 active cases. The World Health Organization recently announced that all the states in Africa have the laboratory capacity for testing the virus, though others still lag far behind the testing ability of South Africa.
“This is a landmark moment for South Africa and Africa at this stage of the Covid-19 pandemic. As we enter winter in South Africa and pressure increases on public hospitals, now more than ever we need a vaccine to prevent infection by Covid-19,” said Shabir Madhi, Professor of Vaccinology at Wits University and Director of the South Africa Medical Research Council, at the launch of the South African Ox1Cov-19 Vaccine VIDA-Trial, which is being run at multiple sites in South Africa.
