PATNA: Concerned over low turnout of volunteers for the phase-3 clinical trial of Covaxin at AIIMS-
Patna to counter
Covid-19, the district administration has decided to launch a special awareness drive to encourage people.
Patna divisional commissioner Sanjay Kumar Agarwal said at least 60 more people have registered for the vaccine trial — 10 each from Patna, Rohtas, Buxar, Nalanda, Bhojpur and Kaimur. The volunteers would get their first dose of indigenous vaccine within next three-days.
Agarwal on Sunday said the volunteers from each district would visit the AIIM-P in a group, so that they don’t be afraid of the vaccine trial. “The selected volunteers would get free transportation, remuneration of Rs750 and medical check-ups during the clinical trial. Besides, these people will be felicitated with mementos. The initiative is to encourage volunteers to participate in the clinical trial,” he said.
The Patna district administration will also hold awareness drive in different private institutes, colleges for maximum participation from next week.
AIIMS-P began registration of healthy participants from December 7 for the phase-3 trail of Covaxin, jointly developed by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech.
AIIMS-P superintendent Dr CM Singh, who is also the principal investigator of the trial, told this newspaper that altogether 201 people have so far received the first dose of vaccine in the ongoing clinical trial, including 41 on Sunday. “Many people are not coming because of the rumours associated with the vaccine trial. However, as people are getting the right information through different mediums, they are coming forward,” he said.
“The third and the last phase is more challenging because we have to include 1,000 healthy participants in the vaccine trial. In the first and second phase, less than 50 volunteers were required and came forward in just 3-4 days,” he added.
As per the AIIMS-P sources, 100 more people (above 18) have registered themselves for the clinical trial till Sunday. The phase-3 is a double-blind clinical trial, in which 50% participants would receive the vaccine and other 50% would get the placebo.
As per the protocol, the first dose would be given on zero day and the second dose on the 28th day. The trial protocol requires follow-ups on the 28th, 42nd, 104th and 194th day to check the level of immunogenicity (amount of antibody produced in a healthy body to fight against the SARS CoV-2 virus, which causes the disease).