Vaccine developed in China appears to be safe, may protect people from coronavirus: Report

India TV, 23 May 2020: Vaccine developed in China appears to be safe, may protect people from coronavirus: Report

Researchers, on Friday, have claimed that a vaccine developed in China appears to be safe and may protect people from coronavirus. As per reports, those who received a single dose of the vaccine produced certain immune cells, called T cells, within two weeks while the antibodies needed immunity peaked at 28 days after inoculation.

The trials were reportedly conducted by researchers at several laboratories and included 108 participants aged 18-60.

All 108 test participants were quarantined in a hotel for 14 days after vaccination, to ensure they weren't exposed to the coronavirus during a study meant to track safety.

Most volunteers reported at least one reaction typical for vaccines such as pain at the injection site, fever or fatigue. But there were no serious side effects, researchers reported in the journal Lancet. A month after vaccination, researchers spotted important immune responses including antibodies needed to block infection. But those responses were lower in the small number of volunteers ages 45 to 60, the oldest tested.

'The ability to trigger these immune responses does not necessarily indicate that the vaccine will protect humans from COVID-19,' lead researcher Wei Chen from the Beijing Institute of Biotechnology said in a statement provided by Lancet.

'This result shows a promising vision for the development of COVID-19 vaccines, but we are still a long way from this vaccine being available to all," Chen said.