COVID-19 Pune: 68 volunteers from three city hospitals get COVISHIELD vaccine dose

Pune: The second phase of human trials for ‘COVISHIELD’, the Covid-19 vaccine candidate of Oxford University and AstraZeneca is underway in the country. The vaccine is being given to 100 volunteers across the country, including 68 volunteers from Pune. The main purpose of this human test is to check the safety of the vaccine. It was also learned that two of the three centres with the highest number of volunteers are in Pune.

One hundred volunteers were vaccinated in the second phase of the human trial of the Covid-19 preventive vaccine. Each of these volunteers will be examined after eight days. The third phase of human testing will begin in the country only after the safety of the vaccine is assured in the second phase.

The first Covid-19 vaccine, COVISHIELD, developed by Oxford University, AstraZeneca and the Serum Institute of India in Pune was given to volunteers at the Bharti Hospital in Pune. The Bharti Hospital in Pune, KEM Hospital’s centre at Vadhu and Sassoon Hospital are included in the phase 2 of these trials.

About a hundred volunteers from 17 centres across the country were vaccinated. Each of these volunteers is being checked for their health conditions for eight days. Following the completion of this procedure, a detailed report will be submitted to the “Drug Controller General of India” (DCGI). The results of the second phase will then be presented in which each of the centres will have an independent report filed. In the third phase, about 1500 volunteers will be vaccinated.

DCGI has given approval to SII on August 3 to conduct the phase 2 human trials for the vaccine candidate. SII has taken a risk by starting manufacturing the vaccine even before the approvals in order to be ready with sizable volumes once the vaccine gets all permissions.