Covaxin vials arrive, CMC to start mixed vax study from today

“To begin with, the study will start by providing a booster dose to persons who have already been administered two doses of any vaccine,” said the study’s principal investigator Dr Winsley Rose. “While booster doses are usually administered a minimum three months after the second vaccine dose, we plan to use candidates who have crossed six months after the second dose,” he added. Asked how volunteers for this stage of the study were chosen, he said, “green coloured pamphlets have been put up on all notice boards inside the hospital campus based on which we have received a good response.” 

However, in the initial stages, the study will provide booster doses to only around 10 persons a day to see how the various study related systems function. “Based on the response, we will decide on ramping up the numbers later,” Dr Winsely said. 

However, for the regular study regarding provision of the first and second vaccine doses, “CMC conducted a survey within Vellore town resulting in many expressing willingness to be part of the study,” he said. But, “as respondents were only asked to be part of a study and as we have not told them about the mixed vaccine study, we expect the numbers to come down later,” he averred. Only those who are willing to be part of the mixed vaccine study will be provided with the informed consent forms after they have a one-to-one meeting with doctors, Winsley Rose added. The study investigators regularly inform the hospital’s IRB (institutional review board), it was said.