Israel to start human trials of coronavirus vaccine next week
The first phase of the trial will test 80 volunteers between the ages of 18 and 55.
Israel will begin testing a COVID-19 vaccine on volunteers this Sunday, the Defense Ministry said, as the country grapples with how best to contain its deadly coronavirus outbreak.
“This is a day of hope for the citizens of Israel,” Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz said. “I would like to thank the dozens of researchers who worked day and night on this national mission.”
The Israel Institute for Biological Research (IIBR) began testing its BriLife SARS-CoV-2 vaccine on animals in March. The state-run laboratory has so far produced 25,000 doses of the vaccine to be used in the first two stages of trials at the Sheba Medical Center near Tel Aviv and Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem.
The first phase will test 80 people between the ages of 18 and 55, with a second phase to include 960 volunteers in December. If those phases are successful, the third and final round of testing will involve 30,000 volunteers and begin in April or May.
