As the number of coronavirus cases is growing at a staggering rate worldwide, the race to find a vaccine is gaining momentum.
According to a?TOI report,?India's first indigenous vaccine -?COVAXIN - developed by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech International Limited (BBIL)?in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), has already started human trials in two hospitals in Uttar Pradesh.?
Prakhar Hospital in Kanpur and Rana Hospital and Trauma Centre in Gorakhpur, are among the 12 institutes across the country where human trials of the vaccine will be conducted.?
None of the two hospitals is affiliated to a medical college and is not a dedicated coronavirus hospital, reports TOI.?
Prakhar Hospital will test the vaccine with a sample size of 50 people in the first phase, and another 150 in the second phase. However, Rana Hospital is awaiting a safety certificate to begin the procedure.
The primary task of the hospital would be to vaccinate and keenly observe the side-effects, if any, and send samples to a National Institute of Virology (NIV) or ICMR-sanctioned laboratory after 28 days - the period in which the antibodies are developed - Dr JS Kushwaha, owner of Prakhar Hospital told the HT.?
In the first phase of the human trial of COVAXIN, the vaccine will be tested on 375 volunteers, of which 100 would be from AIIMS. As per the BBIL, the first phase of the trial will be done randomized double-blind trials. In this, some participants will be given a vaccine dose while others will be given a placebo.??
COVAXIN, India¡¯s first potential indigenous COVID-19 vaccine, has been jointly developed by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Bharat Biotech International Limited (BBIL).
Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech is among the seven Indian firms working on COVID-19 vaccines. It was the first to get the regulatory nod to begin phase 1 and phase 2 human trials to test the vaccine for efficacy and safety.
Also Read: Oxford Vaccine: Everything About The Vaccine That May End COVID-19 Pandemic
Disclaimer: While there have been several different types of treatments being given to COVID-19 patients across the world, there isn¡¯t any one drug that has worked as a sure-shot treatment yet. Don¡¯t self medicate/stock up and always consult your doctor/medical health professional.