Human Trial Of COVID-19 Vaccine Begins At SUM Hospital In Bhubaneswar; Know How To Volunteer For It

Bhubaneswar: The human trial of the much-awaited vaccine against coronavirus began at the Institute of Medical Sciences and SUM Hospital here on Monday.

Covaxin, the vaccine being developed by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the National Institute of Virology (NIV), was administered to several persons who had volunteered to be part of the trial, Principal Investigator of the trial process Dr. E.Venkat Rao informed.

It is believed to be leading in the race among the vaccines from India.

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The vaccination here was conducted after the volunteers had undergone a rigorous screening procedure.

Rao, who is a professor in the hospital’s Department of Community Medicine, said that there was a lot of enthusiasm among people who offered to volunteer for the trial.

Those who were administered the vaccine have been kept under observation and they were absolutely fine, he added.

The Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR), which is collaborating with the pharma company for the development of the vaccine, has chosen 12 medical institutes in the country. IMS and SUM Hospital is the only such institute in Odisha to be chosen for the purpose.

Those interested to volunteer for the project may contact the institute by registering online at ptctu.soa.ac.in under the section register for clinical trials. Volunteers need to be disease-free and can screen themselves through a simple questionnaire available on the same website.