Kolkata: About 50% of volunteers in the Covid vaccine clinical court for children at the Kolkata Institute of Child Health (ICH) recently considered not to be eligible for this research.
The reason: they already have covid antibodies, show that they are infected with Covid viruses at some point but still without symptoms or escape with mild symptoms.
The exercise, however, was not a sero survey but the detection of opportunities during the filtering of potential participants before registering them for vaccine trials.
Health experts say such data brings hope for the third wave concern where children are expected to be the most vulnerable.
Institute at Park Circus, one of the oldest referral hospitals for children in India, was chosen as one of the sites for clinical testing phase 3 of Zycov-D Zydus Cadila vaccine in children between 12 and 18 years.
As part of the PAN-India study, the Kolkata Institution aims to register 100 volunteers.
“About 50% of children brought to trial vaccines are tested positively for covid antibodies.
This means these children are unconsciously infected by viruses and have developed natural immunity.
So, we have to get them out of the trial,” said ICH Professor Jaydeep Choudhury, co-investigator for trial.
The potential volunteer trial vaccines need to undergo a series of screening, including examinations for antibodies, before they can be registered for this program.
Earlier this week, ICMR has also come up with sero-positivity reports that find 57.2% of children between the ages of 6 and 9 have antibodies to SARS-COV2.
For pediatric populations between 10 and 17 years, the prevalence of antibodies is even higher at 61.6%.
“Previously, we found antibodies in certain children who came to the hospital with alleged mis-c (multisystem inflammatory syndrome) or unresolved fever from unknown origin.
In testing, they were found to have antibodies Covid-19.
So, We already have a hunch with many children who have antibodies.
Now, data ICH together with the ICMR survey report carrying a ray of hope, “said ICH Associate Professor Prabhas Giri Prasun.
Fear of the worst children during the third wave that might arise mainly because they have not been vaccinated through the health experts such as IPGMER Hepatology Head Abhijit Chowdhury and Neonatologist Arun Singh, National Advisor with RBSK (Rashtra Bal Swasthya), has insisted that this fear did not Has a scientific base or evidence.
“Children are both exposed to viruses as adults.
It’s just that the immune system that is immature is not installing a type of resistance to viruses like adults.
That’s the reason even though they are infected, most of them remain asymptomatic showing signs of infection,” Chowdhury said ,