A month after denying to prescribe Covaxin doses over safety issues, the state of Chhattisgarh on Thursday eventually started the use of the aboriginal Covid vaccine.
Despite regulators’ approval for the emergency use of the Bharat Biotech-produced vaccine, the Chhattisgarh government has stated that it will not use Covaxin until phase-III trials are completed.
On Monday, however, 80 patients were given their first doses of Covaxin at Raipur’s Dr. BR Ambedkar Memorial Hospital.
Until now, the state has just been giving out doses of Covishield from the Serum Institute.
In February, Chhattisgarh Health Minister TS Singh Deo expressed skepticism about Covaxin’s safety and wrote to Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, requesting that no shipments of Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin be sent to the state before the Phase 3 clinical trial outcomes are finalized.
Harsh Vardhan, the Union Health Minister, denounced the Congress official, said it was unfit for a state minister to cast doubts and represent special interests.
However, two days prior TS Singh Deo, the health minister of Chhattisgarh, who earlier this year asked the Centre to stop supplying Covid 19 vaccine-Covaxin in the state, is now “seriously considering” enabling Bharat Biotech’s vaccine to be used by those who want it.
“Now that DCGI (Drugs Controller General of India) has upgraded Covaxin out of the clinical trials, even though the final data of the 3rd phase trials is yet to be published, we are seriously considering allowing Covaxin for those who wish to opt for it. Initially, the vaccination using Covaxin will be implemented only in medical colleges and district hospital premises in a separate facility. As I had stated earlier, as soon as I recover from Covid and I am eligible for vaccination, I will be taking my first dose of it,” said Singhdeo in a tweet.
Bharat Biotech, meanwhile, released the findings of its Covid-19 vaccine candidate, Covaxin, Phase 3 clinical trials earlier this month. Covaxin has interim therapeutic effectiveness of 81 percent, according to Bharat Biotech.
In cooperation with the Indian Council of Medical Research, Bharat Biotech said the Phase 3 clinical trials for Covaxin included 25,800 participants, making it the “largest trials ever performed in India” (ICMR).
