TWO CHENNAI HOSPITALS TO START OXFORD VACCINE COVISHIELD TRIALS ON TN VOLUNTEERS - REPORT

Chennai based institutions join in the international quest for an effective and safe vaccine against the novel coronavirus. The Oxford vaccine which is by-far the most promising vaccine is in the final phase of human trials in India.

As the testing is being carried out at several selected sites, two institutions in Chennai have confirmed that they will be administering the vaccine upon 300 volunteers in Tamil Nadu. Covishield, will hence be given to healthy volunteers in four to six weeks’ time. “We are planning to vaccinate at least 120 to 150 people as part of phase two and three clinical trials This will be done at the directorate office on Anna Salai. Doctors at the department of community medicine at the Madras Medical College will be co-investigators for the trial,” said a senior official from the health department to TOI.

Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research from Chennai has also agreed to vaccinate and test the same. “Until now, we have been a part of several drug trials for Covid-19. We are now into a vaccine trial. We will test the vaccine made by Bharat Biotech and the Oxford vaccine on our campus. The Oxford vaccine will be given to at least 120 people,” said the Dean S P Thyagarajan.

According to the studies published, Covishield manages to activate the T-cell response and also the antibodies. Antibodies are protein molecules that will neutralise the virus so that the virus cannot infect the cells, while the T-cells are white blood cells which can attack the coronavirus infected cells. Covishield vaccine is able to trigger T-cell response within 14 days and an antibody response in 28 days.