Jharkhand Health Minister Banna Gupta on Saturday said that people should not be made “lab rats” in order to administer the coronavirus vaccine, reported ANI. Gupta’s statement came amid a controversy over emergency-use approval given to Bharat Biotech’s shot Covaxin without making results of its third phase human trials public.
“Before using any vaccine, Centre should adjudge its authenticity, relevance and utility,” Gupta said, while speaking to reporters. “People of this country should not be made lab rats.” He further said that the Jharkhand government would stand with the Centre on the matter of vaccines as it involved public welfare, and assured that political differences would not come in the way.
Since it received approval on January 3, Covaxin has faced reservations from various sections. In fact, a day before the clearance, an expert committee on vaccine had said that its efficacy was yet to be demonstrated. Last week, All India Institute of…