KUCHING: State Health Department (JKNS) director Dr Chin Zin Hing has assured that the Covid-19 vaccine clinical trial at Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) will be conducted according to protocol and all candidates will be monitored and supervised throughout the trial.
He said the trial was being conducted by specialists in SGH with the cooperation of the clinical research centre (CRC).
“I do not have the details because I am not directly involved, but be sure that this trial will be done according to protocol,” he said at the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) Covid-19 update press conference today.
Earlier, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba said that Malaysia’s first Covid-19 vaccine clinical trial involving some 3,000 volunteers had commenced in nine hospitals nationwide on Wednesday,
SGH is one of the nine hospitals included in this trial, which involves a Covid-19 vaccine developed by Institute of Medical Biology Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (IMBCAMS).
“We need to ask the volunteers a lot of questions to check if they are suitable or not, and we also have to get their consent.
“They will be randomly assigned — half will receive the vaccine and the other half will receive a placebo, but they will not know which one they are receiving,” explained Dr Chin.
He assured that candidates would be monitored along the way, adding that the trial could take a long time to complete.
“At any time if they have any issues or problems, they will be able to contact the investigator and they will do whatever is necessary,” he said.
