30-YO Man Receives First Dose Of COVAXIN, India’s First COVID-19 Vaccine

Harin - Aug 01, 2020

At around 1.30 pm, he was given the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine which is 0.5ml. So far, there have been no immediate side-effects.

COVAXIN’s Phase I of human trials was conducted at AIIMS Delhi with the first recipient being a 30-year-old man.

The trial has received registration from more than 3,500 volunteers. And among them, at least 22 people are being screened, according to Dr. Sanjay Rai, a professor at AIIMS’s Centre for Community Medicine.

The first volunteer was a resident of Delhi. Screening has suggested that his health parameters were in the normal range. The man doesn’t have any co-morbid conditions.

Covaxin — The first recipient of COVAXIN was a 30-year-old man from Delhi.

At around 1.30 pm, he was given the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine which is 0.5ml. So far, there have been no immediate side-effects. The researchers monitored his condition for two hours after the injection. And he will be monitored for seven days.

Few more volunteers will be injected with the vaccine if their screening reports meet the requirements.

AIIMS-Delhi is one of the 12 sites that the Indian Council for Medical Research selected to conduct COVAXIN’s Phase I and Phase II.

375 volunteers will take part in Phase I and 100 of them will be tested at AIIMS. Phase II will recruit about 750 volunteers for all 12 sites.

Covaxin Human Trial 1280x720 — The researchers monitored his condition for two hours after the injection.

COVAXIN is developed by Bharat Biotech at its Bio-Safety Level 3 (BSL-3) high containment facility in the Genome Valley, in Hyderabad.

The company got the approval to conduct human clinical trials after submitting results from its pre-clinical studies which demonstrate immune response and safety.

Dr. Krishna Ella, Bharat Biotech’s Chairman, and Managing Director said that it was CDSCO’s guidance and proactive support that has made this project a reality. The company’s manufacturing and R&D teams are putting their efforts in deploying Bharat Biotech’s technologies.

The company, while complying with the national regulatory protocols, accelerated its comprehensive pre-clinical studies. Results have been promising, showing effective immune responses and extensive safety.

Besides Bharat Biotech, there are at least five other companies in India that are working on developing a vaccine for the novel coronavirus. Other companies around the world are also racing to come up with a vaccine to tackle the disease.