I think one can easily understand that what the word “Covaxin” is referring to. Yes, it is an experimental novel Covid-19 vaccine which contains inactive coronavirus particles. It means that if the vaccine is administered into a human body, the virus will not harm it because their ability to attack body cells have been inactivated in laboratory.
Bharat Biotech, a Hyderabad-based biotech company in India, has developed this coronavirus vaccine. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is also participated in developing Covaxin with the firm.
As per this article, when this vaccine will be injected into a human body, his immune system will identify the coronavirus cells and produce antibodies to fight and kill them. In this process, memory cell of human body will record the identification of coronavirus cells so that immune system could produce antibodies to fight them if they enter your body in future.
I would like to ask a silly question. If coronavirus can be made inactive in laboratory, then why the same is not possible after they enter in human body. Though I don’t have any idea about it, I think the way they made the virus inactive in laboratory can’t be used in human body.
Has Covaxin’s human trials completed?
No, covaxin’s human trials hasn’t been completed yet. But technically, it has been started in AIIMS-New Delhi because their ethics committee has already permited them to start trials in the hospital. But before that they need to select participants for the trials. They already started screening and the trails may start later this week. The same human trials will be taken place at 11 other hospitals across the country. The AIIMS-New Delhi will be able to select only 100 participants for this trial.
However, I heard in a news channel that Bihar AIIMS has already administered its first dose to their participants but I don’t know how many volunteers they have taken for this trial. According to an article, Covaxin’s human trials at Bihar AIIMS would have been started on July, 10.
When will Covaxin’s human trials be completed?
According to Bharat Biotech, Covaxin’s human trials will take one year three months to complete. Few days ago I had heard that the vaccine would be ready for public use till August, 15. But now it is not going to happen. I think Covaxin will be available for public use after July, 2021.
Covaxin’s human trials is divided into three phases – phase I, phase II, and phase III. Only 350 volunteers from all over the country will participate in phase I, while 750 volunteers will be involved in phase II trails.
Phase I
Phase I trial is already going on in which researchers will try to check whether the vaccine is safe enough to administer in people or it will shows any side effects. If it is found safe, then it will be moved to Phase II trials. I have heard that the phase I trial result is positive till now, though the testing is still going on.
Phase II
Phase II trial will start after the successful completion of Phase I trial in which researchers will check whether the vaccine is capable enough to induce immune system to produce antibodies that will fight and kill coronavirus cells.
Phase III
This phase will come in effect after both Phase I and Phase II will be completed successfully. In this phase, researchers will examine every aspect of Covaxin including the results that came out from Phase I and Phase II trials. However, nobody knows that how long Phase III will continue.
Once it completes all the phases of human trials, it will be ready to use for everyone in the country. Till then, you will have to follow social distancing and wear face mask to avoid coronavirus infection. Now you need to be more careful because Covaxin’s human trails will take more than one year to complete.