WB Guv Jagdeep Dhankhar inaugurates phase 3 trial of Covaxin in Kolkata

Kolkata, Dec 02: West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Wednesday inaugurated the third phase trial of India's indigenous vaccine candidate against Covid-19, Covaxin at Kolkata's National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Disease (NICED).

According to the reports, Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC)'s chairman of board of administrators and West Bengal State Urban Development Minister, Firhad Hakim (62), will be taking the first dose of Covaxin.

A total of 1,000 people will participate in the third phase of the vaccine trial of Covaxin developed by Indian biotechnology company Bharat Biotech.

Hakim had earlier expressed wish to be a volunteer for the trials.

"It is a great feat that he has expressed his willingness to be a part of the prorgamme and we will be happy to enrol him. He requires to take a few screening tests, following which the next step will be decided," an official earlier said.

On asking whether the senior Trinamool Congress leader will be getting the vaccine or the placebo, the official said that since the phase III trial of Covaxin is a double-blinded placebo- controlled study, neither the volunteer nor the investigator will be able to know who is receiving what.

Meanwhile, United Kingdom became the first country in the world to approve the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine for widespread use.

MHRA, the British regular said that the jab which offers up to 95 per cent protection against COVID-19 illness is safe for roll out. The immunisation could start within days for people in high priority groups.

US has already ordered 40 million doses, which is enough to vaccinate 20 million people with two shots each. The first doses are arriving in the UK in the coming days and 10 million doses should be available soon.