ISLAMABAD   -  A young novel coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine volunteer who received a vaccine jab at Shifa International Hospital in the ongoing trials has allegedly tested positive with the virus, The Nation learnt on Friday. The hospital in collaboration with National Institute of Health (NIH) is conducting Phase-III trials and the vaccine has been administered to more than 4,000 volunteers so far. NIH and Shifa are administering the CanSino COVID-19 vaccine to the volunteers. The hospital record available with The Nation said that the volunteer received a vaccine jab in the month of November and twice has been tested positive with the COVID-19 despite passing of a month after getting vaccinated. Dr. Mohsin Ali, monitoring the COVID-19 trails at Shifa International Hospital talking to The Nation said that out of the total number of volunteers (which is around 4,000) only around one hundred have been reported with flu, fever or other diseases, while only ‘one or two’ have been tested positive with the COVID-19 as well. He also said that the vaccination affects results after four weeks of getting the vaccine jab. Dr. Mohsin said that the phase-III trials are conducted following the scientific method of placebo (a substance that has no therapeutic effect) versus the vaccination. He said that half of the volunteers are vaccinated and equal is placebo following the double-blind procedure under which the volunteer is not aware about his/her group. Dr. Mohsin further said that blood samples are taken before the vaccination and after one year the blood samples will be taken again from the volunteers for scientific study of antibodies developed. He said that if the volunteers develop any symptoms of disease after the vaccination, the hospital provides all health care to them. “Proper healthcare is provided to the volunteers,” he said. Executive Director (ED) NIH Major General Prof. Aamer Ikram responding to the query on number of volunteers becoming COVID-19 positive after vaccination said “vaccination trials are going good and satisfactory, however details of trials could not be revealed.” The consent form for the volunteers provided before vaccination mentioned that phase-I and phase-II study of the vaccine under trial show that the vaccine is safe, with only mild, adverse events related to vaccination and no serious adverse events related to the vaccine.

It said that a single-dose immunization with the vaccine induced rapid onset of immune response within 14 days and a significant immune response within 28 days in most of the participants. In other possible risks of being in this study mentioning the ‘Enhanced Disease’ said that with some virus infection, individuals who have previously been vaccinated have experienced more severe disease when they are exposed to the virus in the community.

It said that this vaccine associated disease enhancement has not been observed with this vaccine in studies done in animals but is still a theoretical possibility. “You (volunteer) will be monitored very carefully if you become infected with the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) after you receive the study vaccine.” Scientist and Chairman National Task Force on Science and Technology Dr. Atta-ur-Rehman talking to The Nation said that vaccines are immunized to healthy persons only and there is only 01% chance of contracting the virus after getting vaccinated.

“Nine out of 10 people will not be infected with the virus after getting vaccinated,” he said.