SCREENING OF CHILDREN FOR COVAXIN TRIAL BEGINS IN AIIMS

NEW DELHI: The screening of children for trial of Covaxin, India’s first indigenously developed Covid-19 vaccine, among those aged between 2 and 18 started at the AIIMS here on Monday.

The trial on children has already started at AIIMS Patna to see if the Bharat Biotech jab is suitable for children. Participants would be given the vaccine after their screening report comes. The trial is to be conducted on 525 healthy volunteers. In the trial, the Covid-19 vaccine will be given by intramuscular route in two doses at day 0 and day 28.

“The screening of children for conducting trial of Covaxin has started. Participants would be given the vaccine after their screening reports come,” Dr Sanjay Rai, Professor at the Centre for Community Medicine at AIIMS, said.

India’s drug regulator had granted permission for conducting the phase 2/3 clinical trial of Covaxin in the age group 2 to 18 years on May 12 Covaxin is being used on adults in India’s ongoing Covid-19 vaccination drive.

The central government last week cautioned that even though Covid-19 disease has not taken a serious shape among children till now, the impact of the disease can increase among them if there is a change in virus behaviour or epidemiology dynamics, and said preparations are being strengthened to deal with any such situation.

A national expert group has been formed to review Covid-19 infections in children and approach the pandemic in a renewed way to strengthen the nation’s preparedness, NITI Aayog Member (Health) V K Paul said at a press conference recently. The group has examined signs which were not available four-five months before, he said.