Human trial of COVID-19 vaccine begins at Odisha hospital

Bhubaneswar: The process of human trial of the much-awaited vaccine against Coronavirus began at the Institute of Medical Sciences and SUM Hospital here on Monday.

Covaxin, the vaccine being developed by Bharat Biotech, was administered to several persons who had volunteered to be part of the trial, Dr. E.Venkat Rao, Principal Investigator of the trial process, said.

The vaccination was conducted after the volunteers had undergone a rigorous screening procedure.

Dr. Rao, who is a Professor in the hospital’s department of Community Medicine, said that there was a lot of enthusiasm among people who offered themselves to be volunteers for the trial.

The Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) which is collaborating with the pharma company for development of the vaccine, has chosen 12 medical institutes in the country. IMS and SUM Hospital is the only such institute in Odisha to be chosen for the purpose.

Those interested to volunteer for the project may contact the institute through registering online at ptctu.soa.ac.in under the section register for clinical trials. Volunteers need to be disease free and can screen themselves through a simple questionnaire available at the same website.