Jerusalem: Israel on Thursday claimed that it already has in hand an “excellent” vaccine against the coronavirus pandemic, but it has to go through regulatory processes which are set to begin with human trials following the autumn holidays.
Israel’s Defence Minister Benny Gantz visited the Israel Institute of Biological Research (IIBR) where he met with its director Prof Shmuel Shapira to receive an update on the progress on work to develop a COVID-19 vaccine.
“There is an excellent vaccine, there are regulatory processes that the vaccine needs to go through based on the timetable that you (Alternate PM and Defence Minister Benny Gantz) mentioned. We will start safety and efficacy trials after the autumn holidays, but the product is in hand, Prof Shapira, Director of IIBR, which works under the joint supervision of the Ministry of Defence and the PMO, was quoted in a press statement as saying.
During the visit, Gantz was accompanied by the minister’s aide on tackling the coronavirus pandemic.
They were briefed on the IIBR’s progress in developing a vaccine that can produce antibodies against the coronavirus. Gantz instructed the institute to begin human trials after the autumn holidays, a press statement from the Defence Minister’s spokesperson’s unit said.
We need to begin human trials following the autumn holidays,” Gantz said. (PTI)