ROHTAK: Following the success of the first phase of clinical human trials of India’s indigenous COVID vaccine, Covaxin, medical experts at Rohtak PGIMS will begin screening the volunteers for the second phase of the trials on Monday.
“In the first phase, two doses of Covaxin were given to 375 healthy volunteers in the age-group of 18 to 55 years across the country, of whom 81 were administered the vaccine at Rohtak PGIMS. In the second phase, we will give two doses of the vaccine to new volunteers in the age-group of 12 to 65 years. Nearly 250 volunteers have registered with us for the trials, and their screening will begin today,” Dr Ramesh Verma, co-investigator in the project told The Tribune.
He disclosed that while only healthy volunteers were involved in the first phase of trials, the volunteers who have controlled diabetes, hypertension or asthma etc will also be involved in the second phase.
The health investigator maintained that the permission to conduct the second phase of trials is granted after a four-fold increase is recorded in COVID antibodies in the blood samples of the volunteers who had been given doses of Covaxin in the first phase.
“In the first phase, the volunteers were given two doses of the vaccine on Day 1 and Day 14. In the second phase, they will be administered the vaccine on Day 1 and Day 28,” he added.