'Covaxin efficacy after both doses': Bharat Biotech on Anil Vij testing positive mid-trial

Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij on Saturday tested positive for the Coronavirus days after he was administered the trial dosage of Bharat Biotech's COVID-19 vaccine. Vij was the first person in Haryana to receive the trial dose of Bharat Biotech's Covaxin. Few hours after he tested positive, Bharat Biotech has responded to the development. 

Bharat Biotech's response on Anil Vij testing positive

The vaccine manufacturer has stated that Covaxin clinical trials include the subject being administered two doses given 28 days apart. In addition, they have further stated that the vaccine's efficacy can only be determined 14 days after the subjects are given the second dose. Bharat Biotech has also remarked that Covaxin has been developed to be effective only after both doses are provided to the subject. Moreover, they have also stated that 50 per cent of the subjects who are a part of the phase-3 trial receive the COVID-19 vaccine while rest of them receive a placebo. 

READ: Midway Through Covaxin Clinical Trial, Vaccine Dose 1 Recipient Anil Vij Tests Positive

Anil Vij tests positive

Days after Haryana's Health Minister Anil Vij was administered the trial dose of COVID vaccine, he has tested positive for the infection on Saturday. Vij was the first person in the state to be administered Bharat Biotech's Covaxin trial dose on November 20. Taking to Twitter, Anil Vij on Saturday announced that he had tested positive for Coronavirus. As of now, Vij has been admitted to a civil hospital in Ambala Cantt. In addition, he has also requested people in close contact with him to get themselves tested. 

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Anil Vij receives COVID vaccine

The Health Minister was administered the first trial dose of Bharat Biotech's Covaxin at Civil Hospital in Ambala Cantt as a part of Phase 3 trial of the vaccine. The dosage was given under expert supervision by a team of doctors from the PGI Rohtak and the Health Department. Vij had volunteered to take the trial dosage of Covaxin. Following his announcement, Vij had also urged people to volunteer for the vaccine's final trials. 

"I, myself have stepped forward to take the first dose of the vaccine. I am not afraid of volunteering. In fact, I want more people to come forward so that the trials can be completed as soon as possible and the vaccine can be made available in the market soon." he said. 

READ: Envoys Of 80 Countries To Visit Bharat Biotech To Assess Progress Of COVID-19 Vaccine

Bharat Biotech's Covaxin 

Covaxin is a COVID-19 vaccine that is being developed indigenously by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). Bharat Biotech had successfully completed the first two trials of the vaccine and announced that the final trial would involve 26,000 volunteers across 25 centers in India.