Coronavirus: Vital parameters of Oxford COVID-19 vaccine trial volunteers normal, says doctor

COVID-19 vaccine developed by the University of Oxford started it’s phase II human trials in India on Wednesday (August 26)
 

Vital health parameters of the two volunteers, who have been administered the Oxford COVID-19 vaccine candidate at a medical college in Pune as part of the phase II clinical trial, are normal, a senior official from the medical facility said on Thursday (August 27).

Two men, aged 32 and 48, were given the first shot of the 'Covishield' vaccine, being manufactured by Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII), at Bharati Vidyapeeth's Medical College and Hospital on Wednesday. The dose will be repeated after one month, an official said.

"Since yesterday, our medical team is in touch with the two volunteers and both are fine. They do not have any pain, fever, injection-side reaction or systemic illness post-vaccination," the medical college and hospital deputy medical director Dr Jitendra Oswal said.

After the vaccine was administered on Wednesday (August 26), both the volunteers were observed for 30 minutes and later allowed to go home, he said.

"They have been given all the necessary emergency numbers (to contact in case of need) and our medical team is also conducting follow-ups with them," he added.
 

The vaccine dose will be repeated on both the volunteers after one month, the hospital's medical director Dr Sanjay Lalwani said on Wednesday.
 

He said in all, 25 candidates will be given the vaccine in the next seven days.
 

Dr Sonali Palkar, in-charge of the medical college's research cell, said four to five persons were screened on Wednesday (August 26) and a decision to administer the vaccine to them as part of the clinical trial is subject to their COVID-19 and antibody test reports.
 

SII, the world's largest vaccine maker has signed an agreement to manufacture the potential vaccine developed by the Jenner Institute of Oxford University in collaboration with British-Swedish pharma company AstraZeneca.