Third coronavirus vaccine goes into final trial as hopes rise

A Chinese-made vaccine against the coronavirus has entered the final stage of testing in Brazil, where volunteers received the first doses. The vaccine, developed by private Chinese pharmaceutical firm Sinovac Biotech, became the third in the world to enter Phase 3 clinical trials, or large-scale testing on humans - the last step before regulatory approval, news agency AFP reported.

Around 9,000 health workers across six Brazilian states will receive the vaccine, known as CoronaVac, in two doses over the next three months under the study. The initial results are expected in three months.

Brazil is the second-hardest-hit country in the coronavirus pandemic, after the United States.

Another experimental coronavirus vaccine, developed by Oxford University and pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca, is also undergoing final stage trial in Brazil.

Another vaccine, developed by state-owned Chinese company Sinopharm, also entered Phase 3 trials this month in the United Arab Emirates.

Researchers worldwide are racing to develop and test a vaccine for the virus. There are more than 150 projects so far.

The Oxford vaccine produced an immune response in early-stage clinical trials, data showed on Monday, preserving hopes it could be in use by the end of the year.

U.S. drugmaker Pfizer and China's CanSino Biologics also reported positive responses for their candidates on Monday.

The Oxford vaccine from AstraZeneca and Britain's University of Oxford prompted no serious side effects and elicited antibody and T-cell immune responses, according to trial results published in The Lancet medical journal, with the strongest response seen in people who received two doses. (With Agency Inputs)