Covovax trials: PGIMER invites children to volunteer

The Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) on Monday invited children, aged between 2 and 17, to volunteer in second and third phases of trials of Covovax — a vaccine against Covid-19 for children.

Covovax, which is primarily developed by the US firm Novavax Inc, will be mass produced by Pune-based Serum Institute of India, mainly for the below-18 age group. The PGIMER is among 10 institutes conducting the trials, aimed at checking the safety and immune response of the vaccine.

While inviting children, the PGIMER authorities said: “Parents of healthy children, who want their children to participate in the trials, can fill the consent form and send it to the institute through email, text message or telephone numbers. The consent form is available at https://forms.gle/rmFo2kJrjwivHaeA8 and can be sent at covovax2021@gmail.com or 7347665382 or 7347665383.”

The notice mentioned that participation is purely on voluntary basis and children above the age of 12 years can also self-register. The institute is also hiring a physician, clinical research coordinator, pharmacist and a lab technician for seven months to conduct trials.

Dr Jagat Ram, director, PGIMER, said: “The PGIMER has got ethical clearance for conducting vaccine trials. Children can volunteer as the vaccine is safe. In the initial stages of the trials, the efficacy of Covovax is said to be near 90%. We will start administering vaccines soon, and we aim to immunise around 100 children, with two doses of 0.5 ml each, on Day 1 and Day 22.”

Last year, the PGIMER was among 17 medical institutes in the country that conducting second and third phase trials of Covishield vaccine, which is being administered to adults