Bharat Biotech has begun the clinical trials of its Covid-19 vaccine, Covaxin, on children aged 12-18 in several parts of the country. Now the trials have also started in Kanpur where children volunteers have started receiving the shot, reported the Times of India.
Dr. JS Kushwaha, the principal investigator for the Covaxin trial on children, told the newspaper that the children have been divided into three age groups of 12-18, 6-12, and 2-6 years. The trials have started with the 12-18 age group, and 15 children volunteers have taken the first dose in the last two days. They will receive the second dose after 28 days, following which their blood samples will be checked to see if antibodies have developed against Covid-19.
Dr. Kushwaha informed the trials for the next two groups would start soon, and hoped that the results will be fruitful. “We have already conducted successful trials of Covaxin on adults at the hospital in 2020. We are hopeful that this trial too would be successful,” he said.
Dr. Kushwaha also informed that the children volunteers are mostly the kids of doctors or belong to those in the medical fraternity. The trials are being done under the supervision of pediatricians, and have started after the health screenings of the children.
Other than Kanpur, the Covaxin trials on children have already started in Delhi, Patna, Nagpur, and Mysuru.
According to a Firstpost report, a total of 525 healthy children have been roped in for the trials, and they have been divided in the three age groups. 175 volunteers each in 12-18, 6-12, and 2-6 age groups will be inoculated with doses in a gap of 28 days.
India has currently three vaccines in use for adults — Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin, Serum Institute of India’s Covishield, and Russia’s Sputnik V.
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