Foreign news
Trial of a Chinese COVID-19 vaccine in Russia: ‘No side effects’
Russian recruits show no side effects’ in Chinese coronavirus vaccine trials
People who got a Chinese COVID-19 vaccine candidate in a large-scale clinical trial in Moscow in early September have reported no side effects, local media the Moscow Times reported Monday.
The vaccine, called Ad5-nCoV, was developed by Chinese company CanSino Biologics in alliance with the Chinese military’s research arm.
Russia approved the Phase III trial of the vaccine last month, and Russian pharmaceutical company Petrovax worked with CanSino to conduct the trial. Petrovax said it has received more than 3,000 applications to get the vaccine so far.
“At the moment, the volunteers are doing well. None of them have shown any side effects,” Petrovax said in a press release.
The study participants who got vaccinated are expected to develop antibodies and cellular immune response to COVID-19, the company said.
They will be put under direct supervision for nearly a month, with four interim face-to-face examinations, and will undergo a control examination after six months, according to Petrovax.
The preliminary results are expected to come out in November, it said.
Once the vaccine is approved to enter the market after reliable results from the Phase III trial, Petrovax said it will be able to produce more than four million doses per month this year and 10 million doses per month in 2021.
CanSino’s Ad5-nCoV is one of the most promising COVID-19 candidates currently in the final stage of clinical trials worldwide. The Phases I and II trails, which involved more than 700 volunteers, were conducted in China this spring, all showing good results.
Phase III trial of the vaccine has also launched in Saudi Arabia, involving about 5,000 subjects, according to CanSino.
Russia has already registered one of its self-developed COVID-19 vaccines – Sputnik V – last month just after Phases I and II trails, although its long-term safety and effectiveness remained to be tested in Phase III trials involving 40,000 participants.
(Cover: Screenshot of the report from website of The Moscow Times.)
Foreign news
NTAC Hails Tinubu; Volunteers Ready to Positively Impact Nigerians
Joel Ajayi
The Nigerian Technical Aid Corps (NTAC) has commended President Bola Tinubu for funding the Technical Aid Corps (TAC) Scheme.
The Director General (DG) of NTAC , Dr Yusuf Yakub, made the commendation during a ceremony to receive five returning TAC volunteers from Zanzibar, Tanzania on Tuesday in Abuja.
The returning volunteers also expressed readiness to impact knowledge gained from participating in the programme on Nigerians.
TAC is a mechanism for Nigeria’s foreign aid and technical assistance to African, Caribbean and Pacific countries through the use of Nigeria’s abundant trained manpower.
Yakub lauded Tinubu’s visionary leadership and steadfast support for the TAC Scheme.
Welcoming the volunteers who had discharged themselves as worthy ambassadors in Zanzibar, the D-G thanked them for their patriotism, dedication to service and for making Nigeria proud on the international arena.
The NTAC boss highlighted the importance of knowledge-sharing, while announcing that certificates of completion will be presented to the volunteers in line with the noble objectives of the service.
He also emphasised the volunteers’ crucial role in passing on the skills and experiences gained in Zanzibar.
He expressed optimism that their efforts would positively impact the lives of Nigerians across the country and shape the expectations and service-delivery of future prospective volunteers.
Earlier speaking, Amb. Zakari Usman, the Director of Programmes for NTAC, expressed gratitude to the D-G for his unwavering support and provision for the volunteers throughout their service period.
He said that the volunteers had so delivered on the mandate of the agency that citizens of Zanzibar did not want them to leave their country.
Popoola Adegoke, the Team Lead and a Mathematics Instructor for the batch of returning volunteers, was full of gratitude to the Federal Government for providing them the opportunity to participate in the scheme.
Adegoke said that Nigeria, was well blessed and had the abundance of both human and natural resources to contribute meaningfully to the development of many countries of the world.
He said that the need to continue the TAC Scheme was not negotiable, owing to its high impact and results.
Mohammed Salisu, a Physicist, said that the experience had broadened his horizon as his orientation during the last 24 months in Zanzibar, especially on the cultural exchange.
He lauded the government for the scheme, saying that Nigeria is seen and perceived to be higher in all ranking, especially in the standard of living and educational system.
He also appealed to the government to sustain the scheme to close the gaps both the educational and professional systems in the African, Caribbean and the Pacific Countries.
NAN
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