Coronavirus Vaccine in India: As scientists and researchers across the world race to develop a vaccine for coronavirus, trials have begun in many countries to test the vaccine candidates. One of the frontrunners for Covid 19 vaccine is the one being developed by Oxford University. Now with the approval of India's apex drug regulatory body Phase 2 and 3 testing for the vaccine will also begin in India.

India is so far conducting trials for two vaccines.

ALSO READ| Coronavirus: WHO Warns India, Says ‘No Silver Bullet For Covid-19 At Present, There Might Never Be’

Covaxin- The trials for India’s first vaccine candidate developed by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech, entered human trials last month. Covaxin's phase I trials will see participation from overall, 375 volunteers between the age group of 18-55 years. Only people without co-morbidities and women with no pregnancy are being selected to be part of the trial in the first phase. In an earlier report, AIIMS Director, Dr. Randeep Guleria said," If the first phase we see if the vaccine is safe and how much of the dose can be administered. Multiple doses will be tried. First, low doses will be administered, and if it's safe then we will increase the dose and see if it's effective. The results of the first phase are expected in the next two-three months",

The phase II trials for Covaxin, on the other hand, will have 750 people participating across the country. These people will be between the age of 12-65 years, Dr. Guleria said. In Phase II, the researchers will test Covaxin's ability to induce an immune response against the novel coronavirus. And in Phase III, the effects of medicine in a larger population will be checked to see its efficacy and therapeutic benefit.

Covishield-  Serum Institute of India(SII) has received approval from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) for starting late-stage human trials for the Oxford Covid-19 vaccine candidate in India. According to Phase 1 trial results published in The Lancet medical journal, the vaccine AZD1222 had a favorable response in the first phase of clinical trials. It did not prompt any serious side effects and elicited antibody and T-cell immune responses.

SII is collaborating with Swedish-British firm AstraZeneca, which developed the vaccine along with The University of Oxford, to manufacture this vaccine which has been named as 'Covishield' for low- and middle-income countries. According to the revised protocol, the SII will conduct trials on 1600 people aged above 18 across 17 selected sites which includes AIIMS Delhi, BJ Medical College, Pune, RMRIMS Patna, AIIMS Jodhpur, Nehru Hospital in Gorakhpur, Andhra Medical College in Vishakhapatnam, Graduate Institute of Medical Education and research in Chandigarh and JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research In Mysuru. They expect the vaccine to reach the people of India in large numbers by the first quarter of 2021.