AIIMS Patna starts phase 2/3 Covaxin trial on children aged between 2 to 18 years

All the volunteers went through the required screening process, such as the RT-PCR, antibody test and general check-up, before receiving the first shot of Covaxin.

Patna's All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on Wednesday began the phase II/III clinical trial of Covaxin on children in the age group of 2 to 18 years. Among the 15 who voluntarily turned up, three were the first to be administered the initial doses. All the volunteers had gone through the required screening process, such as the RT-PCR, antibody test and general check-up, reported Hindustan Times. After giving the shots, the vaccine recipients were monitored for two hours. “We are commencing the trials today in the reverse order of age from today. Children in the 12 to 18 years age group will be given the shots first. We will then proceed with the 6 to 12 years age category before inoculating children in the 2 to 6 years age bracket,” the report quoted Dr CM Singh, AIIMS Patna superintendent and the principal investigator of the trial.