Chandigarh: PGI set to recruit volunteers for vaccine trials in September

CHANDIGARH: PGI will start recruiting volunteers for Covidshield vaccine phase 2 and 3 trials by the first week of September. The trial agreement is almost at the last stage of endorsement. An online link will soon be uploaded to allow volunteers to sign up for the trial.
Pune, one of the sites for the trials, has already started giving shots to a few of its volunteers. “We are going to start the process by first week of September. The trial agreement and other legalities are almost going to conclude,” said Prof Madhu Gupta, vaccinologist and principal investigator for the trials at PGI.
PGI has been finalised as one of the 17 sites for human trials for Covidshield—a vaccine candidate against the infection developed by the Oxford University and private company Astra Zeneca. “The Serum Institute will provide the vaccines. The ICMR will be the funding agency. There will be a monitoring agency. All these institutes will be working together while PGI will conduct the trials,” said Prof Madhu.
As many as 1,600 out of 2000 healthy volunteers will be selected after a screening. The PGI will recruit 250 healthy volunteers. The trials will test safety, efficacy and immunogenicity — antibody response — of the vaccine.
The institute had posted on its website asking for volunteers to participate in this vaccine trial which is purely on a voluntary basis. The trials shall include healthy volunteers above 18 years of age (not involved in patient care). “We have posted a circular on our website where we have requested the participants to send a registration form by email or sending text message or contacting via email. Soon, we shall upload a link for the same,” said Prof Madhu.
The registration shall continue until first week of October.