The Government Pharmaceutical Organisation and Mahidol University’s Faculty of Tropical Medicine have developed and are about to start human trials of an inactivated virus COVID-19 vaccine.

The participating volunteers must be in good health, have never been infected with COVID-19 and have no drug or vaccine allergies.

The human trials are divided into two phases.

For the first phase, 210 volunteers, aged 18-59, will be vaccinated, then scientists will analyse the data to develop two vaccine types for the phase two trials, which will begin in July, where 250 volunteers, aged 18-75, will be involved.

The Government Pharmaceutical Organisation will start producing the vaccines, after it has been approved and registered with the Food and Drug Administration.

It is expected to produce at between 25 and 30 million doses a year, after manufacturing begins in 2022.