COVID-19 Vaccine: Fortnight after trial Covaxin shot, Haryana minister Anil Vij tests positive for coronavirus

COVID-19 Vaccine: Fortnight after trial Covaxin shot, Haryana minister Anil Vij tests positive for coronavirus

FPJ Web DeskUpdated: Saturday, December 05, 2020, 12:25 PM IST
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Haryana health minister Anil Vij was administered a dose of Covaxin two weeks ago | PTI

Haryana health minister Anil Vij, who was administered a dose of a coronavirus vaccine two weeks ago during phase 3 trial, has tested positive for COVID-19.

Vij took to Twitter to inform that he has tested positive and has been admitted to a hospital in Ambala.

"All those who have come in close contact to me are advised to get themselves tested for corona," he said.

The 67-year old senior BJP leader had volunteered to get take part in the phase three trials for Covaxin, a potential vaccine against COVID-19. He was administered the trial dose of the indigenous vaccine at the Civil Hospital at Ambala Cantt on November 20.

A video of him getting the shot was also retweeted by the minister.

Vij had claimed that he was the first volunteer in the country to take the dose in phase three trial of the vaccine. He was also stated to be the first cabinet minister of any state government who volunteered to take the trial dose of a potential vaccine against COVID-19.

When asked if he felt any fear before being administered the vaccine, Vij told PTI, "What is there to fear."

Covaxin is being developed indigenously by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

Announcing that the third phase of trial of Covaxin would begin in the state on November 20, he had offered to be the first volunteer to get vaccinated.

Earlier in October, Bharat Biotech said it had successfully completed interim analysis of Phase 1 and 2 trials and is initiating Phase 3 trials.

The Phase 3 trial of Covaxin involved 26,000 volunteers across 25 centres in India and was conducted in partnership with the ICMR. It is the largest clinical trial conducted for a COVID-19 vaccine in India, the company had said.

This is India's first Phase 3 efficacy study for a COVID-19 vaccine, and the largest Phase 3 efficacy trial ever conducted, it added.

The human trial of Covaxin had begun at Rohtak's Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences in July, Vij had stated earlier.

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