COVID-19: VOLUNTEERS IN PUNE VACCINATED, EXPERTS ON EMERGENCY AUTHORISATION - REPORT!

The Phase II trials of the vaccine which was developed by the Oxford University is set to begin in India today. The first dose has been given to six volunteers at Bharati Vidyapeeth medical college and hospital in Pune.

This vaccine which has been developed by Oxford is by far the most promising, successful, and safe vaccine and it is currently under phase III trials in several other countries. In India however, the Serum Institute of India, Pune has said that the county insists upon both phase II and phase III. Later, the phase II trials are to take place in Mumbai and Chandigarh as well.

Several hospitals will be involved in phase III but since these trials are only being repeated in India, only a total of 1,600 volunteers will be vaccinated.

While several countries, including India have been looking at the possibility of issuing an emergency authorisation for the vaccine, US’s top infectious diseases specialist, Fauci was quoted saying to Reuters, “The one thing that you would not want to see with a vaccine is getting an EUA before you have a signal of efficacy… One of the potential dangers, if you prematurely let a vaccine out, is that it would make it difficult, if not impossible, for other vaccines to enrol people in their trials.

“To me, it is absolutely paramount that you definitively show that a vaccine is safe and effective, both… We would hope that nothing interferes with the full demonstration that a vaccine is safe and effective,” he said.

Apart from this, India is also in talks with Russia on Sputnik-V vaccine. Russia had expressed its interest in seeking help from India for producing the dosages. However, no official information regarding the same have been announced yet.