Subunit-based vaccines are a proven technology that has been used in many commercially available vaccines—including for hepatitis, diphtheria, and whooping cough—with an excellent safety profile. These well-established vaccines are relatively stable and have not required ultra cold storage temperatures.
The authorization from Health Canada enables the Canadian Center for Vaccinology (CCfV) in Halifax to begin recruiting volunteers for the first Phase 1 clinical trial. CCfV anticipates that the volunteers will be vaccinated in January.
“This is the first university-based COVID-19 vaccine to begin Phase 1 testing at CCfV. The purpose of this trial is to demonstrate the safety of the vaccine in humans,” said CCfV Director Dr. Scott Halperin.