Bharat Biotech to conduct world’s first vaccine trials on kids
   Date :13-May-2021

Bharat Biotech_1 &nb
 
 
■ Principal Correspondent :
 
■ Nagpur’s Meditrina Hospital to be the part of the trials 
 
BHARAT Biotech, known for making the indigenous Covid-19 vaccine Covaxin, received permission to start vaccine trial for the kids. This will be probably world’s first trial and it will be a proud moment as Nagpur’s Meditrina Hospital will be a part of that trials. Meditrina had earlier worked with Bharat Biotech, so the company has selected Meditrina which is the only private hospitals in this particular trials.
 
The other two hospitals where these trials would be conducted are All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi and AIIMS, Patna. Bharat Biotech was seeking permission for conducting these trials since December 2020 from Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO). Now CDSCO has permitted to conduct the trial. Biotech’s Covaxin shot has been recommended on Covid19 for further trials on children aged between 2 and 18 years. The Subject Expert Committee (SEC) on Covid-19 has recommended that Bharat Biotech be granted permission to conduct the phase 2/3 clinical trials of Covaxin, on children in the 2-18 age group.
 
It will be a big relief for the parents of the kids as everybody is experiencing the fear. For parents concerned about sending their children, especially primary students, to school due to Covid-19, and wanting to know when vaccine will be approved for those below 18 years, here's something that will give them a sense of safety. Sources confirmed that a leading children’s hospital in the city has been earmarked as one of the sites for trials to be done on children and youngsters in the age group 2 to 18 years. Nagpur was one of the sites for Covaxin's phase I, II and III human trials wherein along with Meditrina, Seven Star Hospital and Gillurkar Hospital had participated. According to sources, the trials will be conducted in age slabs like 2 to 5 years, 6 to 12 years and 12 to 18 years. Though Meditrina has denied of receiving any such communication, the reliable sources at Delhi told ‘The Hitavada’, the hospital will be a part of trials.