By Canadian Press

making progress

Health Canada approves first clinical trial for potential COVID-19 vaccine

May 17, 2020 | 8:59 AM

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Saturday that Health Canada has authorized the first clinical trial for a potential COVID-19 vaccine at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia.

The National Research Council of Canada will work with the manufacturers so that if these vaccine trials are successful, Canada can produce and distribute it within the country.

Dr. Scott Halperin, director of the Canadian Center for Vaccinology at Dalhousie University, said the approval for the phase one clinical trial was exciting news.

Halperin said it’s expected the first study using less than 100 healthy volunteers between the ages of 18 and 55 would likely get underway within the next three weeks.

“In those studies the main purpose is look at the safety of the vaccine and how well it’s tolerated by the people who get it,” said Halperin.

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He said the volunteers would be followed over the next six months and if they show a safe immune response to the vaccine, researchers will quickly transition into an expanded phase two study before the first phase is even completed.

“That will help speed things along because otherwise it could take years to go through the process,” Halperin said.

On Tuesday, the National Research Council of Canada announced that it would work with a Chinese company to try to develop its potential vaccine for COVID-19 more quickly.

CanSino Biologics, is already conducting human clinical trials for the vaccine that will be tested by the Halifax lab.

Trudeau also announced money for the Red Cross on Saturday, pledging $100 million to help deal with COVID-19 relief, as well as work they do every year helping jurisdictions affected by floods and wildfires.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 16, 2020.