India expects to begin vaccinating people against Covid-19 by “any week” of January, Union health minister Harsh Vardhan said on Sunday, r...
India expects to begin vaccinating people against Covid-19 by “any week” of January, Union health minister Harsh Vardhan said on Sunday, reported ANI. The government has identified 30 crore people who would receive the shot in the first phase of inoculation, he said.
In an interview to the news agency, the minister said that the vaccines that have applied for emergency use authorisation are being analysed by the drug regulator. “I personally feel, maybe in January in any stage or any week, there can be a time when we can be in a position to give first Covid vaccine shot to the people of India,” Vardhan said.
The Covishield vaccine made by Serum Institute of India, which has partnered with British pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, and Covaxin, developed by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research, are the two potential candidates that have applied for authorisation.
Besides, six more are in various stages of clinical trials. The final call on the efficacy of a vaccine will be taken by the Drugs Controller General of India.
There have been concerns about how India would monitor “adverse events” following immunisation after a 40-year-old man had sued the Serum Institute, complaining that he suffered serious “neurological and psychological” symptoms...
