The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI), country drug regulator, has granted permission for conducting a study on mixing doses of Covaxin and Covishield COVID-19 vaccines.The study and its clinical trials will be conducted by Christian Medical College (CMC) in Tamil Nadu’s Vellore.”Permission has been granted for a research study by CMC Vellore (Tamil Nadu) on mixing of vaccines doses,” NITI Aayog member (health) Dr VK Paul said during a press briefing on Tuesday.Last month, an expert panel of DCGI had recommended conducting a study on mixing doses of Covishield and Covaxin vaccines.The recommendation came after the CMC sought permission to conduct such study.The Subject Expert Committee of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) had recommended granting permission to CMC for conducting the Phase-4 clinical trial covering 300 healthy volunteers for mixing of doses of Covaxin and Covishield.The panel had said that purpose of this study is to assess whether a person can be given two different vaccine shots — one each of Covishield and Covaxin — to complete the vaccination course.
