Kolkata among 20 venues in country to conduct clinic trial of dengue vaccine in Nov

Kolkata: The National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Disease (NICED) in Kolkata is one of the 20 venues in the country to begin the third phase dengue vaccine trial in November. It comes at a time when there has been a considerable spike in the state.

According to sources in NICED, a few volunteers have been shortlisted for the clinical trials but the trial of the vaccine will only be conducted on limited volunteers.

The dengue vaccine will be given to 10,000 people across the country in a clinical trial. NICED is making all arrangements to conduct the trail in Kolkata. A leading vaccine manufacturer in the country recently received permission for a phase-1 trial of the dengue vaccine.

The clinical trial will be conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) in collaboration with the Panacea Biotec Limited. There is no vaccine for dengue in the country at the moment. The manufacturing company has completed all animal trials and now, it has been granted permission for human trials.

Panacea Biotec Limited has completed phase-1 and phase-2 trials. According to the National Centre for Vector Borne Diseases Control (NCVBDC), around 1,93,245 cases of dengue and 346 deaths were reported across the country last year. Earlier, NICED conducted clinical trials of the Covid vaccine as well.

Meanwhile, a resident of South 24-Parganas’ Bhangar, Manoara Bibi died of dengue in Beliaghata ID Hospital on Monday. She tested positive for dengue after she suffered dengue shock syndrome. She was taken to the hospital in critical condition. She was also kept in the critical care unit.