Bharat Biotech has said that it will be advisable to participate in the Phase 3 efficacy trial for its indigenous Covaxin and get vaccinated to protect against Covid-19 as it may take months for people above 50 years to get the vaccine.
Infrequently asked questions (FAQ) on its vaccine trials, Bharat Biotech said: “It may take many months for the subjects above the age of 50 years to be immunized for Covid-19 vaccine, as per the government’s recommendations.”
“Hence, it will be advisable to participate in the Phase 3 Efficacy Trial for Covaxin and get vaccinated to protect yourself against Covid-19.”
The question was: “Why should I participate in the Phase 3 Efficacy Trial for Covaxin and get vaccinated when the government announced that persons above the age of 50 years will be vaccinated shortly?”
Bharat Biotech responded that as per the recommendations of the Union Health Ministry’s expert panel, the Covid-19 vaccine will be distributed first in three groups.
As per the panel, one crore healthcare workers should be the top priority. This will be followed by two crore frontline workers that include the police, armed forces, and disaster management, volunteers. Lastly, people above the age of 50 years and those under the age of 50 years with co-morbidities. The estimated population of the last category is close to 27 crores.
Further, it was announced that: “When immunization commences, it can be simultaneous also depending on the availability of the vaccine. It is possible that in the first month, there is limited availability of the vaccine but it will increase in subsequent months.”