Wang Li, a 45-year-old volunteer, receives the recombinant novel coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine inoculation in Wuhan, Central China's Hubei province, on March 24, 2020. [Photo by Zhu Xingxin/chinadaily.com.cn]

A clinical trial program for a vaccine against the novel coronavirus led by Chinese scientists is recruiting the second batch of volunteers, news outlet ThePaper reported on April 9.

The trial program is recruiting volunteers aged 18 and older who should hold the green health code issued by Central China's Hubei province, which means they are healthy and have never been infected with the virus.

According to the report, volunteers will be divided into three groups – a medium dose group, a low dose group and a control group, in which subjects only receive a placebo – a harmless pill.

Selected volunteers will receive a series of follow-up examinations within six months after injection.

The clinical trial of the recombinant novel coronavirus vaccine, first of its kind in China, is being carried out by a research team led by Chen Wei, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and a researcher at the Institute of Military Medicine under the Academy of Military Sciences.

The first phase of the clinical trial kicked off on March 16, with 108 volunteers inoculated.