SAMBALPUR: As part of the first indigenous research project, doctors of VIMSAR, Burla will take up a study on vaccine-induced COVID-19 virus antibodies in collaboration with scientists of Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC), Bhubaneswar.
Proposed by a team of VIMSAR doctors around a week back, the project received nod from the State government's Health Research Committee on Thursday.
The research will be a follow-up study to be conducted over a period 12 months among healthcare providers in VIMSAR who have already been vaccinated. Around 400 to 500 vaccinees will be observed as part of the research.
The team of doctors, who will conduct the study, includes principal investigator, tutor of department of community medicine Dr Sanjeeb Mishra and co-investigators associate professors, community medicine Dr Subrat Pradhan and Kulwant Lakra, professor, anaesthesiology Bimal Panda and assistant professor, Microbiology Dr Sumanta Sahu.
The team will be assisted by four post graduate (PG) students besides two scientists and a laboratory assistant of Multidisciplinary Research Unit (MRU) of VIMSAR.
Mishra said the study aims to observe seroconversion on the population which has been vaccinated. Seroconversion is the time period during which a specific antibody develops and becomes detectable in the blood.
This investigation poses minimal risk to participants and involves collection of a small amount of blood only. The observations obtained will be helpful in calculating the number of people required to be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity, so that the pandemic can be controlled.
He further said since the emergence of COVID-19 and declaration of Public Health Emergency of International Concern, the entire world has been eagerly waiting for a vaccine for its prevention. While two only Covishield and Covaxin have been given emergency approval for restricted use in India, results from a large scale trial are still awaited.
The phase III trial data for Covishield shows 70 per cent efficacy 14 days after the second dose of the vaccine. India started its vaccination drive on January 16 this year. However, the trial data are yet to be released.
Mishra added that the research will provide additional data in support of the vaccine, which will be essential in the long run. Panda said, "We have readied our laboratory to undertake the study."