AIIMS Patna initiates Covaxin trials on children

The phase II/III clinical study of Covaxin on children aged 2 to 18 years commenced on Wednesday at Patna's All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). Three of the fifteen who willingly showed up were the first to get the initial dosage.

According to Hindustan Times, all of the volunteers had gone through the proper screening procedures, which included RT-PCR, antibody testing, and a general check-up. The immunisation recipients were observed for two hours after receiving the doses.

On May 11, Covaxin gained approval from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) to conduct clinical studies in children.

VK Paul, Member (Health), Niti Aayog had said, "Covaxin has been approved by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI), for Phase II/III clinical trials in the age group of 2 to 18 years."

The experiment will involve 525 individuals at several locations, including AIIMS in Delhi, AIIMS in Patna, and Meditrina Institute of Medical Sciences in Nagpur, with two dosages given at 28-day intervals. In India, Covaxin will be the first vaccine designed specifically for inoculating children.

The Centre granted a Rs 4,567.50 crore advance payment to the Serum Institute of India (SII) and Bharat Biotech (BBL) to increase COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing, in the month of April.

Bharat Biotech's Covaxin, Serum Institute's Covishield, and Russia's Sputnik V are the three Covid-19 vaccines available in India. India is where Covaxin and Covishield are being produced.