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Ravinder Saini
Tribune News Service
Rohtak, July 11
The Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS) here has administered BCG (bacillus calmette guerin) vaccine to 175 attendants of Covid patients to see whether or not it proves to be effective in fighting the virus.
In this clinical trial, close contacts of patients, doctors, nurses, ward boys and sanitary workers have been administered the vaccine. The trial was kicked off on May 1.
Effectiveness on trial
The clinical trial aims at exploring whether or not the participants get infected from Covid. If yes, we want to know the intensity of severity. If no, it will prove that the vaccine is effective.— Dr Dhruv Choudhry, Head, Pulmonary and Critical care Medicine, PGIMS
All 175 persons have been kept under observation for 180 days. During this period, the effect of the vaccine will be studied in phases.
A mobile phone application has been developed to receive feedback about their health at regular intervals. The participants have been asked to inform doctors if they fall sick or if there is a swelling at the spot where the vaccine was administered. Mobile phone numbers of doctors have been shared with the participants, sources say.
“Blood samples of all participants will be taken for the antibody test after the completion of the observation period. The latest level of antibody of participants will be compared to the level of antibody recorded before administering the BCG vaccine. The vaccine will be considered effective if the level of antibody is higher before administering the vaccine,” said Dr Ramesh Verma, a co-investigator in the clinical trial and professor in the department of community medicine at the PGIMS.
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