Sikh man from UP offers himself for human trial of COVID-19 vaccine

Harkeerat Singh of Prayag district of UP has written to health authorities – both state and central – volunteering to serve as specimen for human trial for any vaccine to combat coronavirus.
For representational purposes
For representational purposes

LUCKNOW: At a time when most of the people are gripped with panic, a few tend to stand out as inspiration to others. When the entire world the scrambling for three-layered masks and sanitizers to ward off deadly coronavirus, a man in Uttar Pradesh has offered himself to be used to help find a vaccine for the treatment of COVID-19.

Harkeerat Singh, 44, works in Lakhimpur Kheri. He is currently staying with his father and brother at his village in Prayagraj. He has written to health authorities - both state and central – volunteering to serve as specimen for human trial for any vaccine to combat coronavirus.

Harkeerat had been a part of National Health Mission in 2017-18. He believes it is an opportunity to do something for mankind. “So I have volunteered to face human trial by any medical authority working to make a vaccine for Sars-Cov-2,” said Harkeerat.

“As a new vaccine is possible only after passing through human trial, I am ready to be that first human. It can be tested on me wherever necessary either in India or abroad,” he maintained.

Harkeerat has reached out to the health department, local MLA and also to Sikh Sangathan in Lucknow in this connection. He claimed that he was a sikh, a community known for serving mankind. “I am just doing the same,” added Harkeerat.

When asked about the risks involved in the trial, he said he was aware of the dangers but the cause was much bigger.

However, medical experts said there were medical and ethical issues involved in any such trail. “The offer is inspirational and worth appreciation but certain medical criteria have to be fulfilled before going on for any such trial,” says a senior doctor Dr Sunil Verma. He also referred to certain ethical issues which have to be looked into by the authorities.

He said a vaccine had to go through animal trial before human trial. However, it was a lengthy process and used to take years of research before reaching the stage of human trials.

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