VTF allows institutes to share bio-specimen

NEW DELHI: The Vaccine Task Force (VTF) set up by Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) for focused research on Corona vaccines has allowed research institutions and laboratories to use the patient samples for research and development (R&D) purposes and the government has framed detailed guidelines for sharing of bio-specimen and data for such research amongst institutions, reports Aman Sharma.

This marks initiation of efforts at the government level to search for a coronavirus vaccine.

In a letter to secretaries who have been asked to inform the concerned research institutes, the office of the principal scientific advisor professor K VijayRaghavan has asked research institutions which have received clearances from ICMR as Covid-19 testing-sites and wish to use samples for R&D, to inform the VTF about delineating the specific research intended to be undertaken.

“The joint committee will examine each request where the R&D objectives and protocols are clearly presented and defined. Field applications and deployment of the R&D results will need necessary subsequent approvals following due process,” the letter dated April 22, which ET accessed, has mentioned.