Although the first phase human trial of the vaccine was successfully conducted here, the institute had to do away with the plan for the second phase

BHUBANESWAR: The third phase human trial of indigenously developed COVID-19 vaccine “Covaxin” will soon commerce at the Institute of Medical Sciences and SUM Hospital in Odisha.

The institute is one of the 21 medical facilities selected across the country by the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) for the third phase trial.

Although the first phase human trial of the vaccine was successfully conducted here, the institute had to do away with the plan for the second phase after the ICMR decided to reduce the number of facilities where the vaccine shots will be administered.

The principal investigator and Professor of Department of Community Medicine at IMS and SUM Hospital Dr E Venkata Rao said the vaccine developed by ICMR and Bharat Biotech has received the approval of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) for continuing trials. 

After completion of the first and second phase trials with demonstrable safety profile and immunogenicity, the large scale efficacy trial involving thousands of volunteers is being planned, he said.

“The age limit and eligibility criteria would be relaxed during this phase. Several healthy volunteers would be recruited for the trial. Like the previous phases, half of the volunteers would receive placebo and the remaining half would be administered “Covaxin” in this phase. Health care workers would also be recruited for the trial. The volunteers would be followed up over a considerable period of time to look at the efficacy of the vaccine in preventing COVID-19,” Prof Rao said.

The institute has a list of individuals, who have already volunteered for the trial. Interested volunteers can also enrol themselves for the trial by registering online at www.ptctu.soa.ac.in under the section register for clinical trials.

IMS and SUM Hospital was one among 12 sites across the country where first phase trial was conducted. Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech was first to secure the approval from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) to conduct clinical trials of Covaxin, making it the country’s first domestic vaccine to enter trials.

“Amid the rising cases and deaths due to Covid-19 across the country, the search for a suitable vaccine candidate has almost come to the final stage. In the first phase trial, the vaccine performed as expected. We hope after the successful third phase trial, the vaccine will get the nod for mass immunisation.

The Congress chief stated that farmers, youth, labourers, brothers and sisters of Bihar are not just in Bihar but all over India and all over the world. Slamming the Bihar Government, Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday said, high on power and its ego, the current state government has deviated from its path. She asserted that the public is with Congress Mahagatbandhan (grand alliance).

“High on power and its ego, current Bihar Government has deviated from its path. Neither their saying nor doing is good. Labourers are helpless, farmers are anxious and youth are disappointed. The public is with Congress Mahagatbandhan and it is the call of Bihar,” said Sonia Gandhi.

“The fragile state of the economy is overshadowing the lives of the people. The sons of the soil are in serious trouble today,” she further stated.

“Dalits and Mahadalits have been left in a bad condition. Backward sections of society are also victims of this plight. The voice of the people of Bihar is with the Congress Grand Alliance. This is the call of Bihar today,” she added.

The Congress chief added that the governments of Delhi and Bihar are ‘captive governments’ – demonetisation, lockout, trade-off, economic bandit, farm-barn captive, bread-employment detention. Therefore, against the captive government, the people of Bihar are ready for the creation of a new Bihar, she added.

“Now the change is in the air because change is passion, energy, new thinking and power. Now the time has come to write something new. Bihar has qualities in its hands, skill, strength, power of construction, but unemployment, migration, inflation, starvation have given them tears and blisters in their feet,” she said.

“Words that cannot be said have to be said with tears. Policy and governments cannot be created on the basis of fear and crime. Bihar is a mirror of India, a hope. India believes, passion is passion. Bihar is the pride and pride of India,” she added.

The Congress chief stated that farmers, youth, labourers, brothers and sisters of Bihar are not just in Bihar but all over India and all over the world. Today, the same Bihar is ready for new changes in its villages, towns, cities, farms and barns for its glory and future.

“That is why I said that the wind of change is in the air. The inked finger of the vote now stands with the question. The question is unemployment, to save farming, about bread and employment. The question is about education and health. The question is of industry. The question is to stop the unbridled crime. The question is on dictatorial governance,” she said.

“That’s why today is the time – to move from darkness to light, from lie to truth, from present to future. My appeal to the people of Bihar, called the land of knowledge, is to vote for the candidates of the grand alliance and build a new Bihar,” she added.

Bihar Assembly elections will be held in three phases — October 28, November 3, and 7, and the counting of votes will take place on November 10.

Vijayawada police busted online cricket betting racket and arrested nine persons for organising betting at an apartment in Murali Nagar under Penamaluru police station limits on Saturday. 

VIJAYAWADA: Vijayawada police busted online cricket betting racket and arrested nine persons for organising betting at an apartment in Murali Nagar under Penamaluru police station limits on Saturday.
 
The accused were identified as V Kalyan Chakravarthi (39), K Ravi Kiran (42), M Kesava Reddy (33), K Chandrasekhar (26), R Srinivas Rao (31), T Sudhakar (40), P Kutumba Rao (43), Md Kalillulah (45) and T Siva Shankar (28), all residents of Vijayawada. They formed a team and organising betting on IPL matches for the past one month.

Addressing the media, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP – L&O) V Harshavardhan Raju said that the Commissioner’s Task Force (CTF)  received information that the accused were organising cricket betting from a rented apartment in Murali Nagar and caught them red-handed while taking bets from punters. He said five persons are bookies and the rest are sub-bookies, operators and cash collecting agents. 

“The accused were using a betting app called ‘Cricket Mazza’ available on Google Play Store and accepting bets using referrals through their friends and relatives. The accused were caught as they were placing bets on cricket match between Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Night Riders,” said DCP Harshavardhan Raju. The police also seized Rs 7.5 lakh cash, a TV, one laptop, a communicator device and 13 mobile phones from their possession. “A case has been registered against the accused under AP Gaming Act and they will be produced in the court on Monday,” the DCP added.

He also said the party workers and citizens need not worry about his health and that he will be back among all after a brief period of rest.

MUMBAI: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Monday said he has tested positive for COVID-19 and is admitted in a hospital here on the advice of doctors.

In a message, Pawar said his health condition is fine.

“I have tested positive for COVID-19. My health condition is fine. As a precautionary measure I have admitted self to Breach Candy Hospital on the advice of doctors,” the NCP leader said.

He also said the party workers and citizens need not worry about his health and that he will be back among all after a brief period of rest.

On Thursday, Pawar tested negative for coronavirus but was in home quarantine as a precautionary measure.

In the last few months, over a dozen Maharashtra ministers have tested positive for the viral infection.

They include Jitendra Awhad (housing), Ashok Chavan (public works department), Dhananjay Munde (social justice), Varsha Gaikwad (school education), Eknath Shinde (urban development) and Nitin Raut (energy).

Ministers Hasan Mushrif (rural development), Sunil Kedar (animal husbandry), Balasaheb Patil (cooperation), Aslam Shaikh (ports, textile), Bacchu Kadu (MoS for school education), Abdul Sattar (MoS-rural development), Sanjay Bansode (MoS-environment) and Vishwajeet Kadam (MoS for cooperation) had also contracted COVID-19.