VIDO-InterVac vaccine tweaked to tackle variants

The COVID-19 vaccine developed in the lab at Saskatoon’s Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) at the University of Saskatchewan is now better equipped to fend off emerging variants.

“We now looked at some of these new variants and adjusted our vaccine to it,” said Dr. Volker Gerdts, VIDO’s director and CEO. “In fact, here at VIDO we are one of the few places in Canada that currently has (U.K. and South African) variants. We can now assess our own vaccine but also vaccines from others to see how well they work for these new variants.”

The VIDO vaccine was given the green light from Health Canada to begin human trials in December.

Gerdts told the Brent Loucks Show on Monday the first phase was successfully completed without a setback. Two doses of the vaccine were given to volunteers between the ages of 18 and 54.

“There was no significant reactions,” Gerdts said. “This is all about safety. We are monitoring any adverse reactions and there was really nothing so far. We’re now moving into the next group.”

The second phase of the clinical trial is to begin sometime in spring. This phase of testing is to involve hundreds of individuals to determine how effective the vaccine is against the virus.

Gerdts said it’s too soon to predict when the vaccine will go into arms.

“We’re working very, very hard on it, but there are so many questions right now being asked by the regulators in terms of the vaccine rollout and how that affects theses trials and the new variants and so on,” Gerdts said. “Until we have clarity around the clinical design, it is very hard to predict at the moment.”