Question: Which vaccines have clinical trials on the African continent?
Answer: At least seven (7) COVID vaccines have clinical trials in Africa (Table 1) and they [have been/are being/will be] tested in three African countries– Egypt, Morocco, and South Africa. Read on for a bit more background.
African countries are oftentimes neglected in vaccine research. According to the African Academy of Sciences, only 2% of clinical trials globally, for all types of vaccines, take place on the continent. To counter this problem, in late June 2020, the African Union announced a new consortium of vaccine developers, funders, and scientific organizations, the Africa CDC Consortium for COVID-19 Vaccine Clinical Trial (CONCVACT). CONCVACT aims to ensure that at least 6 late-stage COVID-19 vaccine trials are completed in Africa. The Consortium is also working to improve regulatory approval and roll-out processes post-trial and to foster Africa-based manufacturing capacity. When the Consortium was announced, only two of 33 trials were being conducted on the continent. Since then, the number of trials has increased. If you’d like to read more, here are three excellent sources:
- Lancet Respiratory Health, COVID-19 vaccine trials in Africa (September 2020);
- Health Affairs, A Case For More (And More Ethical) COVID-19 Vaccine Trials In Africa (January 2021); and
- Lancet Global Health, An interactive website tracking COVID-19 vaccine development (March 2021).
Table 1. COVID Vaccination Clinical Trials in Africa (data from Vaccine Tracker, Novavax Press Release, and Science Magazine)
