Anti-Covid vaccine test results show promise in Kanpur
KANPUR:The test reports of the 38 volunteers, who were given the first dose of anti-Covid vaccine in Kanpur, have shown promising results. The vaccine, known as Covaxin, has been developed by Bharat Biotech.
Samples from the volunteers were taken on August 14, exactly two weeks after the vaccine was injected into them at Prakhar Hospital here as per Indian Council Medical Research (ICMR) guidelines. Prakhar Hospital is one of two private hospitals in Uttar Pradesh that were chosen for human trials of the vaccine.
“The inputs shared with us can fill anyone with a lot of hope; the results are very encouraging,” said Dr JS Kushwaha, chairman of the hospital. “The anti-bodies developed are well beyond expectations. If this holds in future tests, too, we may have our vaccine by the end of the year,” he said. The second sample of this batch, and the first sample of the second batch of 32 people, would be taken on August 28.
The samples were sent to the National Institute of Virology (NVI) where they were tested on the lines of ICMR guidelines. The experts here said they were expecting good results as none of the participants complained following after being given the vaccine. The hospital had set up a team of specialists to monitor the participants, with whom they spoke twice in a day in the past three weeks. “The day they were given vaccine we had them with us for three hours against the two hours as specified. No one complained of any side effects then, nor did they in three weeks,” the experts said.
“That was a positive sign and the test results have vindicated what we were feeling,” he said.
The process for the human trial of the vaccine had begun in
July with the hospital screening nearly 100 individuals who had listed for the programme. Their blood samples for coronavirus and anti-bodies were taken and tested twice at the ICMR recognised labs.
It was done to make sure that the participant was healthy and that the level of anti-bodies could be matched after the vaccine given. The data was analysed at the NIV and shared with the hospital where the vaccines were given.
The hospital has planned trial on 100 volunteers in two stages.
› The inputs shared with us can fill anyone with a lot of hope; the results are encouraging. The anti-bodies developed are well beyond expectations. If this holds in future tests, too, we may have our vaccine by the end of the year DR JS KUSHWAHA, chairman Prakhar Hospital