After weeks of waiting, approval for the trial of the COVID-19 vaccine being developed by the Oxford University has finally come through and is expected to begin this week, said senior civic officials. The trial, which will include 320 participants, will be carried out in three phases at civic-run hospitals, and is expected to take around three months.

The ethics committee wrote to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) late last month, seeking clarity on the amount of the medical insurance for the participants. The committee, headed by Dr Padma Menon of KEM Hospital, had earlier met on August 20. Since it is a countrywide trial, the committee sought a uniform figure for all the trial participants in the country. The trial will be conducted at KEM and Nair hospitals, both having 160 participants each.