Context:
Debate on how the government is planning to implement Controlled Human Infection Studies (CHIS).
About CHIS:
- Refers to the research methodology that involves intentionally exposing healthy human volunteers to a specific pathogen or infectious agent under controlled conditions.
- This is done for developing models of infection, understanding host-pathogen interactions and/or testing vaccines and therapeutics.
- Benefits of CHIS Implementation –
- It can accelerate the development of novel medical interventions.
- Offers unique insights into how diseases develop and progress
- Requires smaller sample sizes compared to large clinical trials
- It involves testing –
- Vaccines: Doctors give the volunteers a dose of the vaccine, then administer a controlled dose of the relevant challenge agent, for example a virus.
- Treatments: Doctors administer the challenge agent, then give volunteers a treatment.
- In many of the developed countries, CHIS has been used to study malaria, typhoid, dengue, etc.
Recently, Indian Council of Medical Research’s (ICMR) Bioethics Unit has introduced a consensus policy statement on ethical conduct of CHIS in India. It aims to address ethical issues of CHIS so that research can be conducted without compromising on ethical principles while ensuring protection of human participants.
Source: The Hindu
Previous Year Question
What is the importance of using Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccines in India?
1. These vaccines are effective against pneumonia as well as meningitis and sepsis.
2. Dependence on antibiotics that are not effective against drug-resistant bacteria can be reduced.
3. These vaccines have no side effects and cause no allergic reactions.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2020 Prelims]
(a) 1 only
(b) 1 and 2 only
(c) 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (b)
