BJP minister tests coronavirus positive days after taking India-made vaccine

An Indian minister from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), who had participated in the clinical trials of a locally-made coronavirus vaccine two weeks ago, announced on Saturday that he has been tested positive.

The home minister of the Indian state of Haryana Anil Vij, 67, was admitted to a local hospital in Ambala after the diagnosis and also urged 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," the minister wrote on his official Twitter handle.

According to a report on NDTV, Anil Vij had participated in the third phase trial of Bharat Biotech's Covaxin. He had earlier announced on Twitter that he will be the first volunteer in his state for the vaccine trials.

As news of Vij’s diagnosis broke, the company behind Covaxin issued a statement clarifying that the clinical trials are “based on a two-dose schedule, given 28 days apart.”

“Covaxin has been designed to be effective when subjects receive both doses. The vaccine efficacy will be determined two weeks after the second dose,” the company said.

It also explained that the trial is a “double-blind study where volunteers have a 50% chance of receiving either vaccine or placebo”.

Satyendra Jain, an opposition leader serving as health minister for the capital territory of Delhi, called on the BJP government to address concerns being raised over Covaxin’s effectiveness and take appropriate measures.

India’s daily coronavirus cases rose by less than 40,000 for the fifth straight day, health ministry data showed on Friday, with 36,595 new infections reported in the last 24 hours.

India’s daily rate has fallen since the south Asian nation reported the world’s highest such tallies through most of August and September, despite a busy festival season last month that experts had warned could trigger a spike in infections.

Its tally is now at 9.57 million and remains the world’s second-highest after the United States, where there have been nearly 14 million infections.

Deaths in India rose by 540, the ministry said, with the total now at 139,188.

(WITH ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM ANADOLU AGENCY)