Been only 14 days since first vaccine shot: Anil Vij after testing Covid-19 positive | Latest News India - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

Been only 14 days since first vaccine shot: Anil Vij after testing Covid-19 positive

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Byhindustantimes.com | Edited by Kanishka Sarkar
Dec 06, 2020 12:56 PM IST

Hours after Vij tested positive for the coronavirus disease, the pharmaceutical company manufacturing the potential vaccine against coronavirus clarified that the shot is meant to be protective only two weeks after the second dose – which is given after a gap of 28 days following the first dose.

Haryana’s health minister Anil Vij, who tested positive for Covid-19 a little over two weeks after he joined a trial for a vaccine candidate, said on Sunday it had only been 14 days since he was “vaccinated”. Vij also said that at the time of being given the shot he was told by the doctors that antibodies develop after 14 days of its second dose.

Haryana health minister Anil Vij participating in the third phase trial of the Covid-19 vaccine at Civil Hospital, Ambala Cantonment on November 20, 2020.(HT Photo)
Haryana health minister Anil Vij participating in the third phase trial of the Covid-19 vaccine at Civil Hospital, Ambala Cantonment on November 20, 2020.(HT Photo)

To be sure, the trial is a double-blind, randomised experiment so half of the volunteers are given a placebo and the other half the vaccine, according to Bharat Biotech’s trial registry. This means neither Vij nor those administering the shot would be aware of whether what he was given was indeed the vaccine. Technically, there is a 50% chance he got the inoculation.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

“It is a double-blind trial (meaning, neither the recipient nor the researchers know who is given a vaccine and who is given a placebo). Such trials have a very rigorous protocol for unblinding,” a Union health ministry official said asking not to be named.

“Before administering Covaxin, doctors told me that antibodies will develop after 14 days of the second dose... I am being treated at a civil hospital and I feel fine. It has only been 14 days since I got the first shot,” Vij wrote on Twitter in Hindi.

 

 

The minister’s tweet comes after his illness and participation in the trial for Bharat Biotech International Limited’s Covaxin triggered confusion over the vaccine on Saturday. Hours after Vij tested positive for the coronavirus disease, the pharmaceutical company clarified that the shot is meant to be protective only two weeks after the second dose – which is given after a gap of 28 days following the first dose.

Later, the minister himself addressed the concerns by issuing a similar statement to news agency PTI.

Also Read| Safety primary criteria in vaccine development: Covaxin maker Bharat Biotech after Anil Vij contracts Covid-19

“I was told that antibodies start to develop after the second dose, which is administered after 28 days of getting the first shot. And full antibodies are developed 14 days after the second dose is given. So, the complete cycle takes 42 days. In between there is no protection,” Vij told PTI over the phone.

Developed by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the government’s National Institute of Virology, Covaxin is a two-dose vaccine. It uses an inactivated virus to elicit an immune response in people.The third phase trials of the potential vaccine against coronavirus disease is currently being conducted with over 25,000 volunteers across 25 centres in the country.

Unveiling Elections 2024: The Big Picture', a fresh segment in HT's talk show 'The Interview with Kumkum Chadha', where leaders across the political spectrum discuss the upcoming general elections. Watch now!

Get Current Updates on India News, Election 2024, Mukhtar Ansari Death News Live, Bihar Board 10th Result 2024 Live along with Latest News and Top Headlines from India and around the world.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Friday, March 29, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On