WHO solidarity trials might start end Oct, says DOH exec

The solidarity trial is an international clinical trial to test the effectiveness of a possible vaccine for Covid-19. (Pixabay photo)

MANILA – The World Health Organization (WHO) solidarity trials on the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccines might start by the last week of October, a health official said Friday.

“(In) the fourth week of October, the implementation might start already. And I say the implementation might start because there could be a lot of factors, intervening factors, that the dates might be moved.

But based on the discussions September 9, this is what we have agreed upon,” Department of Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a mix of Filipino and English during a virtual media forum.

Citing the timeline from the WHO, Vergeire said the vaccines to be included in the solidarity trial would be identified in the third or fourth week of September while the sites for the conduct of the trials would be identified by the end of September.

“We will be monitoring this and we hope we can pursue this based on the specific timeline that was given to us,” she said.

The solidarity trial is an international clinical trial to test the effectiveness of a possible vaccine for Covid-19.

The Philippines’ participation in the WHO solidarity trial was approved by the Single Joint Research Ethics Board on April 17 in support of the Covid-19 global response.