COVAXIN TRIALS FOR INFANTS EXPECTED TO START IN NAGPUR

Nagpur: Parents who are worrying about sending their kids to primary schools for this pandemic and waiting for the vaccine approval below the age of 18 years, shall not have to wait much longer; says Chaitanya Deshpande.

Bharat Biotech, the birth giver of Covaxin, the indigenous covid-19 vaccine is scheduled to start its vaccine trial on pediatric population by the end of February or in the beginning of March. If sources are to be believed, a leading children’s hospital has been chosen as a venue for the vaccine trials on the kids. As soon as Bharat Biotech, a Hyderabad based company receives a green signal from the government of India, the trials shall start.

SUCH A TRIAL SHALL BE THE FIRST ONE IN THE WORLD

Bharat Biotech MD, Krishna Ella in January has stated that the vaccine for the infants shall be ready by May 2021.

Coordinator for these trials, Dr Ashish Tanje said, “It will be the first such trial in the world in which paediatric population right from toddlers to teens will be tested for the covid-19 vaccine”. He is further reported to have added that Nagpur was one of the sites for the human trials of Covaxin’s phase 1, 2 and 3.

He also stated, “Trials for Covaxin through intradermal route are under way in the city. Soon, Covaxin trials through nasal route will also commence. However, the paediatric trial has a special importance”.

Tajne stated, “Special protocol will be maintained. It will be a crucial trial in the fight against covid-19”. In his opinion, these trials will be conducted within the age brackets like 2-5 years, 6-12 years, and 12-18 years.

According to international regulations, children below the age of 16 years shall be administered with vaccines based on inactivated virus. And that’s why, Covaxin is the only feasible option for the infants in India. The rest made-in-India vaccines are dependent on mRNA and chimpanzee adenovirus vector platforms.

The Drug Controller General of India had given conditional approval for administering Covaxin to infants aged below 12 years in the earlier days of this year which was later disapproved by the government.

After which, Bharat Biotech decided to submit a proposal for Covaxin trials for kids between the age of 2-12 years. A senior paediatric from the city, most probably the principle coordinator of these trials at Nagpur, reported that only after receiving government approval the trials will get started.