Covid-19: No human challenge experiments in India yet, says Harsh Vardhan

India is not planning to venture into human challenge experiments for the coronavirus vaccine until the method is proven to have an established benefit according to global experience, Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said.

Human challenge trials, which have raised ethical concerns, involve exposing the participants to the virus on purpose to study the effectiveness of the vaccine. “When conducted, human challenge studies should be undertaken with abundant forethought, caution and oversight. The value of the information to be gained should clearly justify the risks to human subjects,” Vardhan added.

He said that India has robust processes in place to ensure the vaccines that successfully complete the clinical trials are safe and effective against the novel coronavirus. According to reports, the UK is planning to host such a trial on a group of volunteers in January next year.