The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine trials are going at full speed around several parts of the world, including India.?
And one study being conducted in Chandigarh¡¯s Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research has been showing positive results so far.
The officials of the institute have revealed in a statement to IANS that they haven¡¯t witnessed any extreme side effects in the recipients of the vaccine so far.
According to an official, "Very few people developed fever or body ache post-vaccine administration. It is expected and very normal after the vaccine dose is given. Nothing to get alarmed about."
The PGIMER is one of the 17 institutions where the second and third phase of human trials for the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine (also known as Covishield by Serum Institute of India) is taking place. Officials have revealed that 53 participants in the trials have already completed seven days of post-vaccination period without showing any signs of harmful side-effects.?
They also revealed that PGIMER has screened 97 volunteers as of now with 65 of them already administered the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. The trial commenced on September 25, with two women aged 57 and 26 years, as well as a 33-year-old man.
The institute is currently in the process of administering multiple doses of the vaccine candidates to check its safety and efficacy across 250 other participants. Researchers are maintaining a gap of 28 days for every dose of 0.5ml.
In case you remember, just last month, the trials for this very vaccine were put on hold, around the world (even in India) after some patients reported some never-before-expected side effects. However, the trials rebooted (in the UK on September 12, in India a few days later) after Oxford-AstraZeneca clarified that the symptoms were limb weakness and loss of sensation, which the patient fully recovered.?