Indian Vaccine Trials Begin in Tamil Nadu! Number of Volunteers, Institute conducting Trials and Other Details Listed

Tamil Nadu is the latest addition to the list of states where the human trials of India’s COVAXIN has commenced. The research team at SRM Medical College and Research Centre, the only institute conducting vaccine trials in Tamil Nadu, will be evaluating the safety of the vaccine on volunteers. Around 100 volunteers are being tested by the facility.

As per college authorities’ statements to the media, a few volunteers have been given the first dose of vaccine. If they do not show any adverse effects, the dosage will be administered on other volunteers as well. 

“Currently, the volunteers are being monitored by the experts in intensive care units. The selected volunteers were screened before they were administered with the vaccine,” an official said.

He added that the research team has picked volunteers from people who had registered for the human trials of COVAXIN. 

“We are following the ICMR guidelines on the trials and volunteers have been split into two groups. One group has been administered with the vaccine. However, both the groups will be monitored closely to check for antibodies. The outcome will be based on a comparative study of the antibody levels in each group,” said Dr N Sethuraman, registrar of SRM Medical College and Hospital.

Reportedly, the completion of trials is likely to take a month or so, following which it will be shared with the Drug Controller General of India through ICMR. Human trials of the vaccine commenced on Monday.