Haryana minister Anil Vij tests COVID-19 positive days after participating in vaccine trial

Haryana health minister Anil Vij, who took part in coronavirus vaccine trials a little over two weeks ago, said on Saturday that he has tested positive for the virus. The minister also urged all those who had come in close contact with him to get themselves tested. “I have been tested corona positive. I am admitted in Civil Hospital Ambala Cantt. All those who have come in close contact to me are advised to get themselves tested for corona,” he tweeted. Vij had participated in the third phase trial of Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin on 20 November. He had earlier announced on Twitter that he will be the first volunteer in his state for the anti-COVID vaccine. “The antibodies against the infection build up in a human being only after a specific number of days pass after the second dose of the vaccine is taken, since this is a two-dose vaccine. The minister in question has taken only one dose of the vaccine,” the Union Health Ministry said after Vij’s announcement. Meanwhile, Bharat Biotech has reacted to the development as well. “Covaxin clinical trials are based on a two-dose schedule, given 28 days apart. The vaccine efficacy will be determined 14 days post the second dose. Covaxin has been designed to be efficacious when subjects receive both doses,” ANI quoted Bharat Biotech as saying. “The phase-3 trials are double-blinded and randomized, where 50 percent of subjects (participants in the trial) receive vaccine and 50 percent of subjects receive placebo,” said Bharat Biotech. Vij’s media coordinator Vijender Chauhan said the minister was in Chandigarh on Friday afternoon and had reported fatigue later. Hindustan Times quoted Chauhan as saying: “He got tested himself today morning and the result is positive. The staff will be tested today itself.”