Haryana Minister Anil Vij Tests COVID Positive Days After Being Given Experimental Vaccine

Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij has announced that he has tested positive for COVID-19 and has been admitted to a hospital.

Vij, who is also the state's home minister, urged all those who had come in contact with him recently to get tested.

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"I have been tested Corona positive. I am admitted in Civil Hospital Ambala Cantt. All those who have come in close contact to me are advised to get themselves tested for corona," he tweeted.

I have been tested Corona positive. I am admitted in Civil Hospital Ambala Cantt. All those who have come in close contact to me are advised to get themselves tested for corona.

¡ª ANIL VIJ MINISTER HARYANA (@anilvijminister) December 5, 2020

A three-member delegation of the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP), the BJP's coalition partner in Haryana, had met Vij on Friday and sought withdrawal of cases registered in the state against farmers participating in the 'Delhi Chalo' march against the Centre's farm laws.

The delegation was led by JJP's state unit chief Nishan Singh and senior party leader Digvijay Singh Chautala was also a part of it.

Yoga guru Ramdev too had met Vij on Tuesday.

Vij is a senior leader of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and is a legislator from the Ambala Cantt assembly constituency.

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On November 20 Vij had become the first volunteer in Haryana to be administered Covaxin, the vaccine developed by Bharat Biotech along with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

Vij was also the first cabinet minister of any state government who has volunteered to take the trial dose of a potential vaccine against COVID-19.

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Meanwhile, Bharat Biotech has issued a clarification saying "Covaxin trials are based on a 2-dose schedule, given 28 days apart. The vaccine efficacy will be determined 2 weeks after the 2nd dose."

COVAXIN?? trials are based on a 2-dose schedule, given 28 days apart. The vaccine efficacy will be determined 2 weeks after the 2nd dose. pic.twitter.com/ZKmGuKbBMf

¡ª BharatBiotech (@BharatBiotech) December 5, 2020

West Bengal's Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim was the second minister of a state government in the country to be administered a shot of Covaxin.

Another lawmaker had volunteered too

Another politician who had expressed intention to be a volunteer, Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra was found unfit for the vaccine trial as his immediate family members had tested positive for the infection.

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Covaxin is still under phase-3 clinical trials across the country and has been the most advanced indigenous vaccine candidates.

Another indigenous drugmaker Zydus Cadila has said that it has received approval from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) to start the phase 3 clinical trials of the indigenously-developed Covid-19 vaccine.

The drug, Pegylated Interferon alpha-2b, 'PegiHepTM', is an approved drug that has been in use since 2001 and is now being re-purposed to treat Covid-19 patients.