Meet the doctor who's a Covid vaccine volunteer
August 27, 2020 14:51
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A 48-year-year-old man, who was among the two volunteers administered the Oxford Covid-19 vaccine candidate on day one of the second phase, says he is happy to be a part of the global effort to fight coronavirus. The volunteer, a doctor, said on Thursday that he also volunteered 10 years ago for clinical trials for a vaccine against the H1N1 (swine flu) virus.
The phase-II clinical trial of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Oxford University and being manufactured by Pune-based Serum Institute of India, started at the Bharati Vidyapeeth Medical College here on Wednesday, with the two volunteers being administered the Covishield vaccine.
The volunteer said his 21-year-old daughter had also volunteered herself during the trial of a vaccine on cervical cancer in 2014. "My daughter, who is pursuing a B Tech degree, has volunteered and become eligible for the trial as her reports COVID-19 and antibody came negative," he said.
He said more than feeling excited, he is feeling good that he and his daughter could become a small part in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic by volunteering for the trial. This is a noble and global effort for mankind, he said.
"Since yesterday, my vital signs are normal and I have started my routine work," he said. "I am a science enthusiast and since I work in the healthcare sector, I know that the vaccines have made a huge difference in the quality of human life all over the world. When I read the history of vaccination, I got inspired by pioneers of vaccination Louis Pasteur and Edward Jenner as they performed trials on themselves," he said.
He said he has worked as a teacher at the medical college and tried to create an awareness among the medical students about the vaccination trials. "To lead by an example, I volunteered myself for the H1N1 vaccine trial," he said.
The volunteer said as per the ICMR panel norms, he is entitled to get travelling allowance for the hospital visits. "If the volunteer has some health issues during the trial period, the treatment is free," he said.
The second volunteer, a 32-year-old man, who is a PhD holder in statistics and works in a private firm, said he was excited to become a part of the trial. "When I came to know about the trials through social media, I approached the hospital and enrolled myself for the voluntary vaccination trial," said the person, who hails from Aurangabad in Maharashtra. PTI
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