NUR-SULTAN, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Kazakhstan's Scientific Research Institute for Biological Safety Problems said on Tuesday that its five researchers have tried a COVID-19 vaccine on themselves.
The vaccine, developed by the institute, is the second in Kazakhstan which was registered by the World Health Organization as a candidate vaccine against COVID-19 on July 31.
The institute said the five developers injected the vaccine on July 26 to keep themselves safe while working on the live virus, now they feel good, with no fever or allergies.
Preclinical trial on animals will be completed on Aug. 20 before entering phase 1 of clinical trial which will involve 44 volunteers. Phase 2 of clinical trial which enrolls 200 volunteers will begin in mid-October and wrap up in December, the institute said.
Once the WHO confirms the results of clinical trials, Kazakhstan will roll out mass production of the vaccine at a being-built vaccine manufacturing plant in Zhambyl Region.
With a designed annual production capacity at 60 million doses, the plant will be put into operation in December 2020, local media reported.
As of Tuesday, Kazakhstan reported 93,820 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 1,058 deaths. Enditem
