After Success With Mice, Thailand Begins COVID-19 Vaccine Trials On Monkeys

Scientists in Thailand has begun  a COVID-19 vaccine trial on monkeys after it showed positive results on mice.

Medical experts and researchers from all over the world have intensified their efforts to develop a coronavirus vaccine, and test existing drugs against the virus.

Speaking on the country’s effort, Thailand’s minister of higher education, science, and research and innovation, Suvit Maesincee, said researchers had moved to test of the vaccine to monkeys and hoped to have a “clearer outcome” of its effectiveness by September, reported Reuters.

“This project is for the human race, not just Thais. The prime minister (Prayuth Chan-ocha) has outlined a policy that we must develop a vaccine and join the world community workforce on this,” Suvit told reporters on Saturday.

On Wednesday, Thailand had announced that it was developing a vaccine. More than a hundred vaccine is under development around the world, while about 10 of them are in the human trials phase. Researchers at Thailand believe that if all goes well, the vaccine should be ready by next year.

Thailand has also begun reserving two manufacturers for its vaccine for COVID-19. The Thai vaccine uses messenger RNA, which signals the body to produce antigens, molecules on the surface of the viruses, which spurs the immune system into action.

The vaccine is being developed by the National Vaccine Institute, The Department of Medical Science and Chulalongkorn University’s vaccine research centre.