Belagavi hosp awaits reports of volunteers to start clinical trials

Jeevan Rekha Hospital, Belagavi, is awaiting Covid-19 and other test reports of volunteers who have come forward for clinical trials of Covaxin, an indigenous vaccine developed by Bharat Biotech, Hyderabad, in association with Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for treatment of the pandemic.

Central Lab of ICMR, New Delhi, has been testing blood and swab samples of the volunteers and receipt of reports, clinical trials could commence.

Jeevan Rekha is among the 12 hospitals shortlisted by ICMR for clinical trials of Covaxin in the country and the only such facility from the state. It has shortlisted about 200 volunteers in the age group of 18 to 57 years for the trials and their health tests are being conducted before the vaccine is administered to them.

Hospital director Dr Amit Bhate told DH that they have sent swab and blood samples of volunteers for the test to Central Laboratory of ICMR in New Delhi and are yet to receive
reports.

He said after the availability of reports, the decision on administering the vaccine to the volunteers will be taken. Volunteers to be selected for clinical trials should not have any health issues, like diabetes, blood pressure, other heart ailments and women should not be pregnant. Among the tests of volunteers, women have also been subjected to pregnancy tests,
he added.

Every day, samples of about 20 to 25 volunteers are being sent to New Delhi for the tests. “We expect the arrival of the reports from Wednesday. Those, who fulfil the criteria required for clinical trials, will be administered the vaccine as per the protocols of ICMR,” he stated.

Dr Bhate said there are wrong notions about the clinical trials and many are enquiring to become volunteers. “We are informing that those, who are healthy and do not have any comorbidities, will be selected for trials and those with any health issues cannot become volunteers for clinical trials of the vaccine,” he said.