Preparations are underway at a hospital here for the start of the second phase of the human clinical trial of ‘Covaxin’, the COVID-19 vaccine indigenous to India, authorities said.
“Phase I of the trial is still continuing, as we are planning to start the Phase II trial shortly,” said Dr. E Venkata Rao, trial principal investigator at the Institute of Medical Sciences and SUM Hospital, College of Sciences. medical. .
The blood samples collected from the volunteers who received the vaccine were to determine how effective the vaccine was in terms of the level of antibodies developed, Dr. Rao said, adding that there were no “ side effects ” in the first phase. of the vaccine trial. . IMS Hospital and SUM is one of 12 medical centers in the country chosen by the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) to conduct the human trial of the vaccine developed by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech.
“Two doses of the vaccine were administered to each volunteer after they were selected through a selection process conducted over a period of three to seven days prior to vaccination. The first dose was administered on day zero while the sample was being collected. The second dose was administered on day 14 and the blood sample was also taken, “said Dr. Rao.
Blood samples will also be collected from volunteers on different days (28, 42, 104, 194 days) to later estimate the duration of protection, he added. Dr. Rao said there was a lot of enthusiasm among people to be part of the second phase of the human trial.
Those who want to be part of this trial can contact the center at http://ptctu.soa.ac.in, he said.
There are more than seven coronavirus vaccines in various stages of development in the country and two of them have received the go-ahead from the drug regulator to begin human clinical trials of their vaccines.
Meanwhile, Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan on Sunday expressed confidence that the country’s COVID-19 count will be “under control” for Diwali this year.
Opening the ‘Nation First’ webinar series, organized by the Anathkumar Foundation, he noted that the country was far ahead in the fight against the pandemic.
“COVID-19 will be significantly under the control of the Deepavali this year. Leaders and ordinary people worked together effectively to combat the pandemic. He inaugurated the first series of Nation webinars organized by the Ananth Kumar Foundation,” the press release said.
He further said that health officials had met long before the first COVID-19 case was reported in India.
* With inputs from agencies
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