All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi is all set to start the screening of children between ages 12 and 18 years for clinical trials of Covaxin from Monday (June 7) after getting permission from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI). DGCI's approval for trials was followed by recommendation by the Subject Expert Committee.
Covaxin is an indigenous vaccine against COVID-19 developed jointly by the Hyderabad-based pharma firm Bharat Biotech and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). AIIMS Delhi is not the only hospital to begin Covaxin trials for children. Vaccine trials for children from 2 to 18 years began at AIIMS Patna on June 3.
"We are commencing the trails today in the reverse order of age from today. Children in the 12 to 18 years age group will be given shots first. We will then proceed with the 6 to 12 years age category before inoculating children in the 2 to 6 years age bracket," said AIIMS Patna superintendent and the principal trial investigator Dr CM Singh.
Dr Singh informed before administering the vaccine to children, they will conduct real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test to check them for COVID-19 antibodies and test them for pre-existing diseases besides conducting physical examination.
So far, 10 children have got the first dose of the indigenously developed anti-COVID jab. They are due to get the second dose in 28 days. The hospital aims to give the trial dose of Covaxin to at least 100 children.
This is the first time in India when a COVID-19 vaccine will be tested on children. In these trials, children will be administered two COVID vaccine shots on day 0 and day 28. Sites shortlisted for these trials include-AIIMS Delhi, AIIMS Patna and Meditrina Institute of Medical Sciences Nagpur.
Edited by Mehak Agarwal