'Corona Hell' India... 525 Children and Adolescents in Native Vaccine Clinical Trials

India's Indigenous Vaccine 'Covaxin'
First Clinical Trial on 525 Participants Aged 2-18
360,000 Daily Cases... Highest Worldwide

[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Min-young] As India battles a tough war against COVID-19 with "360,000 new daily cases," Indian pharmaceutical company Bharat Biotech is conducting the country's first clinical trial of a COVID-19 vaccine targeting children and adolescents.

According to Indian media including ANI on the 13th (local time), the Indian Directorate General of Drugs Control (DCGI) approved Bharat Biotech's request for Phase 2 and 3 clinical trials of the COVID-19 vaccine "Covaxin" for individuals aged 2 to 18.

Accordingly, Bharat Biotech plans to soon begin clinical trials involving 525 children and adolescents. This is the first time such clinical trials are being conducted in India.

Covaxin, along with the India-made AstraZeneca vaccine, is being used for vaccinations locally. It received emergency use authorization from Indian authorities in early January on the condition of adult vaccination. Covaxin is produced using a traditional method employing an inactivated virus and is known to have some effectiveness against variant viruses, including those originating from the UK.

On the 13th (local time), the Indian Directorate General of Drugs Control (DCGI) approved Bharat Biotech's clinical trial of the indigenous Indian vaccine 'Covaxin' for individuals aged 2 to 18. Source: ANI News

Experts point out that vaccinating children and adolescents is an essential condition for herd immunity and ending the COVID-19 pandemic. Without vaccinating children and adolescents, it is difficult to achieve the threshold required for herd immunity. Generally, it is believed that herd immunity is more likely to form when over 70% of the population is vaccinated.

As of today, India has administered 177.2 million vaccine doses. The number of people who have completed two doses is 39.5 million, which is only 2.8% of the total population (1.38 billion). Despite being a major vaccine producer, India has failed to supply enough vaccines, causing vaccination suspensions in various places. In New Delhi, over 100 Covaxin vaccination centers were closed yesterday.

India is the country with the highest number of daily infections worldwide, with 362,727 new daily cases recorded on this day. India’s new case count peaked at 414,188 on the 7th and has recently hovered around the 350,000 mark.

As COVID-19 cases continue unabated, voices demanding a nationwide lockdown are emerging. Balram Bhargava, chairman of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), argued that to suppress the massive COVID-19 outbreak, major infection areas need to be locked down for about two more months. ICMR is India’s top medical research institution funded by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Chairman Bhargava stated that lockdowns should be maintained for another 6 to 8 weeks in regions where the positive test rate exceeds 10%. He said, "Lockdowns can be lifted when the positive rate reaches 5 to 10%," adding, "If New Delhi is opened tomorrow under the current circumstances, it would be a disaster."