Peru Suspends Trial of Chinese Coronavirus Vaccine | the Chronicle

Peru suspended in the last hours the clinical trial of a potential Chinese vaccine against the coronavirus as a precaution against the detection of neurological problems in a study volunteer.

The National Institute of Health (INS) decided to temporarily stop the trial, after It was reported that one of the volunteers had decreased the strength in the movements of his legs, according to local media.

“A few days ago, we duly reported to regulatory agencies that one of our participants had neurological symptoms that may correspond to a complication called Guillain-Barré,” said German Malaga, principal investigator of clinical trials of the Sinopharm vaccine.

Guillain-Barré syndrome is a rare, non-contagious disease that It affects the nerves that control the movement of the arms and legs.

In mid-2019, Peru declared a temporary health emergency in several regions due to the incidence of cases of this syndrome, in an epidemic recorded since 2018.

“It seems to us very unlikely due to the clinical features, the person’s history, the form of presentation. However, the safety of these studies is first and foremost, therefore after an evaluation a suspension was determined as a temporary study”, Malaga added.

The trial of the potential vaccine was due to conclude this week, in a first phase that envisioned application to 12,000 volunteers, the news agency reported. AFP.

If positive results are obtained, which would not be known until the first weeks of 2021, the Peruvian government he wanted to buy 20 million vaccines to vaccinate two-thirds of the population.

Facing the suspension, Malaga said Peruvian health authorities have formed an ad hoc commission of neurological experts to assess the clinical history.

“We are concerned about the situation and we have given our full support and support for this matter to be clarified. I stress that there is very little chance that this will be the case, but when there is the slightest doubt, it is important to take this type of determination “, Tenuous.

How is the vaccine administered?

The vaccine from the Chinese group Sinopharm It consists of two doses which are applied to each volunteer one month apart. The trial is being conducted by medical staff from two Peruvian universities.

According to the last official part, Peru has reported 979,111 confirmed cases of the coronavirus since the start of the pandemic, with 36,499 deaths.