MANAMA — More than 3,000 volunteers, including Bahraini citizens and residents, have participated in phase III clinical trial for a COVID-19 inactivated vaccine so far, the Bahrain News Agency reported. Bahrain's National Taskforce for Combating Coronavirus (COVID-19) is overseeing the trial of the potential vaccine at the Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Centre (BIECC), as part of its efforts to limit the spread of the pandemic. The participants highlighted the importance of taking part in the clinical trials to contribute to efforts to reach a vaccine to the pandemic from which the entire world is suffering. In this regard, Dr. Amal Al-Ghanim stressed the importance of taking the potential vaccine, describing the third phase of the clinical trial as successful and secure. She asserted that the national taskforce will recommend the vaccine only after its confirmation, study and collection of all information related to it, expressing confidence in the National Taskforce's efforts and measures, thanks to which the kingdom's experience in fighting the pandemic has been acclaimed internationally. She emphasized that the recent increase in the number of infected cases necessitates the need to find a vaccine that ends the spread of the virus. Meanwhile, in response to queries related to the halted Oxford vaccination trial at an online press conference on Wednesday, the head of the national taskforce, Lt. Col. Dr. Manaf Al Qahtani, said that no volunteer taking part in the trials in Bahrain is reported to be suffering from adverse symptoms needing hospital treatment. Conducted in collaboration with the Abu-Dhabi based G42 Healthcare using a vaccine developed by Sinopharm CNBG the world's sixth-largest producer of vaccines in the world, the potential vaccine will be tested on about 6,000 volunteers who meet the required medical criteria. Open to volunteers above the age of 18 who do not suffer from chronic or underlying conditions, phase III of clinical trials has been approved by the National Health Regulatory Authority (NHRA) following the success of its phase I and phase II clinical trials across China.
