Covaxin shots reach Ahmedabad hospital for phase-three trials

AHMEDABAD: A consignment of Covaxin, one of the COVID-19 vaccine candidates, reached Sola civil hospital here in Gujarat on Tuesday for the phase-III clinical trials, a senior official said.

The Sola civil hospital is one of the 130 centres across the country where the third phase of clinical trials of Covaxin would be conducted, said H G Koshia, Commissioner, Gujarat Food and Drug Control Administration (FDCA).

"Covaxin is being developed indigenously by vaccine maker Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)," Koshia told reporters.

While authorities at the civil hospital remain tight-lipped, Ahmedabad-West MP Kirit Solanki tweeted a photo of the "Covaxin trial room" at the hospital.

"Corona's trial vaccine has arrived at Sola Civil. Trial will commence on 1,000 volunteers starting Friday. Sola Civil has formed a team to check the effects of the vaccine. The hospital has also formed one Ethical Committee and a Scientific Committee for supervision of trials," Solanki tweeted.