Covid-19 vaccine update: Cuba, N Korea, Taiwan join the Coronavirus vaccine race

In addition to the Covid-19 vaccines being developed by the leading pharma companies of the developed world, many small nations are also inching towards developing their separate indigenous vaccine. Many vaccine candidates from these countries have even reached the human trial stages which is the most crucial and critical stage in the development of the vaccine. Among the vaccine candidates are those developed by Cuba, Taiwan and North Korea, according to an Indian Express report.

Cuba, which is a communist dictatorship, is developing the Covid-19 vaccine under the supervision of its state-run Finlay Vaccine Institute in capital Havana. Named Soberana 01, the vaccine candidate has got the approval to go for the human trials stage. More than 600 volunteers are also expected to be enrolled during the whole clinical trial process across the country. However, the country has taken a long horizon and is not expecting the results of its human trials before February next year. In addition to its own vaccine, the country has pinned its hope on support from its long time ally Russia whose recently approved Covid-19 vaccine Sputnik V will be mass produced.

Taiwan: Pharma company Adimmune Corp in the country has got the approval for phase 1 human trials of its vaccine candidate. All the preparations have been done for the phase 1 human trials which will be conducted at the National Taiwan University Hospital. About 60 volunteers will be administered the vaccine during its first phase.

North Korea: The country led by dictator Kim Jong-un has also said that it is developing the vaccine for Coronavirus but little does the world know about what stage the vaccine is currently at as no information about it has been shared by the country.

The vaccine developed by the German pharma company Curevac has also promised much hope after it successfully completed the phase 1 human trials. The company’s IPO at the US market floor Nasdaq skyrocketed soon after it announced its decision to go for the second phase human trials. The European Union has already clinched the deal with the company for the delivery of 225 million vaccine doses for the population of the bloc.

Other countries which have lately come in the race for the Covid vaccine are Turkey, Egypt, Thailand, Nigeria and Kazakhstan among others. According to the latest date provided by the World Health Organisation (WHO), more than 160 Covid-19 candidates are in different phases of animal and clinical trials. However, only 30 candidates have reached the human trial stage yet while a handful of six candidates are in the final stage of clinical trials.