Vaccine Trials to Start in October

Minister of Defense Benny Gantz said on Sunday that human trials of a COVID-19 vaccine developed in Israel are set to begin in October.

The surprise announcement came during Gantz’s visit to the Israel Institute of Biological Research in Ness Ziona, where work on the vaccine has progressed ahead of other teams around the world.

“All the initial trials have been successfully completed, and there is very big news and very big hopes. The next stage, as we agreed, will be that human trials will begin after the Jewish holidays (which end October 9). We will coordinate this with the Ministry of Health and in accordance with the required procedures of medical safety,” Globes quoted Gantz as saying.

Director General Prof. Shmuel Shapira added, “We are proud that we can show results. We have an excellent vaccination, and there are regulatory procedures that the vaccination must pass according to a timetable that we have set out … We will begin trials for safety and efficacy, but we have a product in our hands.”