Trial of Chinese Vaccine Is Halted in Bangladesh

The third phase trial of the Chinese vaccine to prevent coronavirus is halted in Bangladesh.

Bangladeshi officials say the trials have not yet been approved as the Chinese government has not made any official response to the Bangladeshi government.

Officials say a high-level government decision is needed to conduct vaccine trials or research in another country.

However, a Chinese company named Synovec Biotech Company was preparing to conduct the trials in Dhaka through the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, (icddr,b)

In this preparation phase, permission has also been obtained from the Medical Research Council of Bangladesh or BMRC.

The idea is that in a short time, ICDDR, will start administering the vaccine trials to specified people in seven selected hospitals.

But in the meantime, Health Minister Zahid Malek said the ticker trial was a two-state affair and needed time to decide.

In the context of such statements, there have been complications with the trials of the vaccine.

Health Ministry Secretary Md Abdul Mannan told the BBC ''there was no discussion or progress on the issue as the Chinese government had not officially informed out government''.

"No official letter has been sent to our Department of Health Services or the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare but no one has sent or received any letter in this regard."

He added: "One thing is for sure, if a Chinese team wants to come and do the trial, then at the state level, we have to take an initiative from the level of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. - I don't think we've got that official yet or there's been any progress."

A few days ago, the health minister also said that if the Chinese government informs the foreign ministry of Bangladesh about the vaccine test, then the government will discuss it and the government's expert or technical committee on coronavirus will review and recommend it.

Regarding the rules of vaccine trials in Bangladesh, Md. Shahidullah, head of the government's expert or technical committee, said, "If any vaccine or medicine needs to be researched in our country, the research team will first come up with a good protocol. They will submit the vaccine to Bangladesh Medical Research Council or BMRC. Then, BMRC will give ethical clearance. This is the protocol. "

"The second step is more important. The vaccine is a product. It will be applied to the human body. As a result, any medical product or research item or medicine needs to be approved by the drug administration to be brought to Bangladesh."

However, this rule has been interpreted differently by the government.

The government says the rules apply to domestic researchers.

Health Secretary Md. Abdul Mannan said, ''Research from other countries requires a high-level decision of the government''.

"Since a team from another country will come, it means experts obviously they'll b experts. They will come from China. When they come to Bangladesh, is there any matter of approval? This is not a local research institute. I think these are things to think about."

Secretary Mannan further said, "We are also waiting. If we receive such a letter officially, we will respond to it and take action."

He, however, said that if the Chinese government formally informs the Bangladesh government, then it may be considered.

Meanwhile, a few weeks ago, a Chinese expert team visited Dhaka and held meetings at various levels of the Bangladesh Health Department. In China, the team shared their experience in coronavirus control and promised to help Bangladesh.

At that time, several media reports said that the third phase trials of the Chinese vaccine will be in Bangladesh.

He told the Bangladeshi media that the Chinese ambassador to Dhaka would be the first to receive the vaccine.

The Chinese company then started preparing to run the test through ICDDR,B.

Source: BBC Bangla
Translator: Apurbo Roy