First volunteers receive Saskatchewan-made COVID vaccine

Clinical trials have begun for a Saskatchewan-made COVID-19 vaccine.

The Canadian Center for Vaccinology says the first of 108 healthy adult volunteers received injections Wednesday in Halifax.

It is being administered in two doses, 28 days apart.

Dubbed COVAC-2, the vaccine hopeful was developed by the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) at the University of Saskatchewan.

This is the first phase of testing to determine if the vaccine is safe for humans.

At the same time, VIDO is building a manufacturing facility on the campus that could produce up to 40 million vaccine doses annually.