MYSURU: While the trials of Covishield, the vaccine candidate by Oxford university-AstraZeneca-Serum Institute, hit a roadblock during its third phase trials in the UK after a participant developed an illness, authorities at the JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research said none of their participants have faced any adverse effects so far and they are awaiting correspondence regarding the continuation of the trial.
JSS AHER is one among the 17 sites chosen for the second and third phase of the vaccine’s trials — the most promising one against the pandemic so far — which is christened as Covishield in India by Serum Institute that has partnered with Oxford University and AstraZeneca.The trials were voluntarily stopped by AstraZeneca reportedly after a participant developed an unexplained illness.
However, speaking to TNIE, B Suresh, Pro Chancellor of JSS AHER, said that so far, none among their 32 volunteers have reported any adverse reactions and all are doing fine. He said they are yet to start the third phase of trials. Suresh, who is an expert on pharma research himself, said, “Sometimes sensitivity in individuals may wary and evaluation is often done to analyse risk versus benefit. They must be evaluating the data before taking further steps.”
JSS has given vaccine shots to 32 volunteers on August 29 who are on a 28-day watch for symptoms and following this, extensive third phase trials are planned on two fifty volunteers to look for the efficacy of the vaccination.