The news about the corona vaccine has caused a stir in the world. The trials for Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin – India’s indigenous vaccine candidate for COVID-19 – are set to move to phase II as the phase I trials have not seen any side-effects in the volunteers who used it. As per the reports, the first phase of the trials involved vaccinating 325 people across the country. Preparations are underway at a hospital in Bhubaneshwar for the commencement of the second phase of the human clinical trial. Dr. E Venkata Rao, Principal Investigator of the trial at Institute of Medical Sciences and SUM Hospital, faculty of medical sciences, said, "The Phase I of the trial is still continuing as we are planning for the start of the Phase II trial shortly." 

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The blood samples collected from the volunteers who received the vaccine were to ascertain how effective the vaccine was in terms of the level of antibodies developed, Dr. Rao said, adding that there had been 'no side effects' in the first phase trial of the vaccine. The IMS and SUM Hospital is one of the 12 medical centers in the country chosen by the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) for conducting the human trial of the vaccine developed by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech.

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Dr. Rao said, "Two doses of the vaccine were administered to each volunteer after they were selected through a screening process conducted over a period of three to seven days prior to vaccination. The first dose was administered on Day Zero while the blood sample was collected. The second dose was given on Day 14 and the blood sample was also collected." Blood samples of the volunteers will also be collected on days 28, 42, 104, 194 for estimating the duration of protection subsequently, he added.

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