Brazil is the first country to start testing outside the UK, with support from the Lemann Foundation
Brazil was one of the countries chosen to test the effectiveness of the vaccine developed by the University of Oxford against Covid-19. Two thousand people will participate in the tests, carried out with the support of the Ministry of Health. The approval of the procedure by Anvisa (National Health Surveillance Agency) was published last night in the Official Journal. In São Paulo, the tests will be conducted by the Reference Center for Special Immunobiologicals (CRIE) at the Federal University of São Paulo (Unifesp), and counted on the financial viability of the Lemann Foundation to cover all the necessary medical infrastructure and equipment. The articulation for the coming of the tests to Brazil had the leadership of Professor Sue Ann Costa Clemens,
For the testing step in São Paulo, Unifesp will recruit 1,000 volunteers who are on the front lines of the fight against Covid-19, since they are more exposed to contamination. They need to be sero-negative, meaning people who have not contracted the disease before. According to Dr. Lily Yin Weckx, principal investigator of the study and coordinator of CRIE / Unifesp, "the most important thing is to carry out this step of the study now, when the epidemiological curve is still rising and the results may be more assertive."
There are other countries whose participation is under review and approval. The results of these tests will be fundamental for the vaccine registration in UK, expected by the end of the year. However, formal registration should take place only after the completion of studies carried out in all participating countries.
For Denis Mizne, executive director of the Lemann Foundation, an organization that provides the necessary resources to carry out the vaccine efficacy study in São Paulo, "to include Brazil into the vaccine against Covid-19 is an important milestone for us Brazilians, and I believe that we will be able to accelerate solutions that will bring good and quick results. For the Lemann Foundation, this is another important opportunity to contribute to initiatives with great impact for our country and its people. "
About Unifesp
Traditionally recognized as an institution specialized in health sciences, Unifesp is responsible for the training of qualified human resources and for the development of scientific research in health. Its nucleus of origin is the Escola Paulista de Medicina, whose foundation dates back to 1933 and which was supported by private resources and government allowances until its federalization in 1956. With the enactment of Law No. 8,957 in 1994, EPM was transformed into a federal university, maintaining the courses taught in the areas of Medicine, Nursing, Biological Sciences (medical modality), Speech Therapy and Ophthalmic Technology - which today integrates Health Technologies. Conducted by highly trained faculty, health research at Unifesp is linked up to professional practice, ranging from primary care to the use of cutting edge technology in diagnostic methods and treatment of diseases. Hospital São Paulo - recognized as the largest university hospital in the country and a reference in highly complex procedures - provides undergraduate and graduate students with clinical practice. In addition, it provides the less favored population with assistance services funded by the Unified System of Health (SUS). At the Reference Center for Special Immunobiologicals (CRIE / Unifesp), important training in immunization is carried out. There, patients in situations or conditions at risk for vaccination and administration of other immunobiologicals are also assisted, besides concentrating all research in immunization that takes place at the university.
About the Lemann Foundation
The Lemann Foundation is committed to Brazil and its people. It believes that people are the most valuable asset in the country and that, in order to achieve a leap in development with equity and quality, it is necessary to guarantee a coherent educational system focused on guaranteeing learning. It also considers the recognition, support and development of leaders committed to solving the great existing social challenges as equally relevant. To this end, it invests in large-scale initiatives and works in partnership with governments and other civil society entities, supporting initiatives that have an impact on the learning of all students, in addition to investing in the attraction, connection and professional development of these leaders. Founded in 2002, it is a family-owned, independent and non-profit organization.