Kanpur is emerging as a key centre of Covid-19 vaccines, being manufactured by various companies. Zydus Cadila is set to administer its Covid vaccine ZyCov-D -- to a set of healthy volunteers in Kanpur.
Two vaccines, one developed by Bharat Biotech and the other Russian Sputnik have completed their human clinical trials, successfully.
Sources say, nearly 40 healthy volunteers would be given doses of the vaccine at Prakhar Hospital, where 197 people have already been given shots of Bharat Biotech's Covaxin.
Dr V.N. Tripathi, the state's former Director-General, Medical Education, will supervise the third trial said that "A separate lab has been set up in the hospital. Work on listing the volunteers has begun."
According to the health department, Zydus had performed trials on 20 people in Kanpur last month but the details were not shared, however, the third phase process has been kept transparent.
Dr Tripathi said the drug controller has approved the vaccine and Kanpur will soon have the vaccine stock.
Earlier, the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) had shortlisted Prakhar Hospital as one of two centres for human trials.
Dr J.S. Kushwaha, the head of Prakhar Hospital, added that the volunteers who were given with the vaccine dose, by far have not complained of any side-effects. About 57 people in Kanpur were given Covaxin shot in the third trial. The volunteers that are staying in Kanpur during the trial period were examined by an ICMR team and include doctors and engineers.
Only 13 volunteers went for doses at the Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi Memorial (GSVM) Medical College, where the trial of Sputnik vaccine was going on.
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Seven of the volunteers declined to take the vaccine shot after knowing that a Haryana Home Minister had tested positive for Covid-19 even after he was vaccinated.
Prof. Richa Giri, vice-principal of the medical college, in Kanpur said that people need not be apprehensive about the vaccine and believes people fear is arising from social media posts. She said the only ways to defeat the virus is through a vaccine and people should be mentally prepared.