Hopes for an early arrival of a possible vaccine for the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) have been rekindled as several candidate vaccines are in the middle or early stages of late-stage trials. Meanwhile, the total number of people who have contracted the disease worldwide is 58.9 million, while nearly 1.4 million have lost their lives due to it, according to a tally by worldometers.
Click here for full Covid-19 coverage
In the latest update for a coronavirus vaccine, Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on Sunday expressed confidence that Bharat Biotech International Limited’s candidate vaccine Covaxin could complete its trials in a ” month or two. ” Meanwhile, a senior US official said the United States could begin vaccinations in December in what is the worst-affected nation in the world.
Here are the latest updates on the Covid-19 vaccine front:
1. Dr. Harsh Vardhan on Sunday reiterated the government’s plans to immunize 200 million to 250 million citizens by next July. “We are in the process of developing our indigenous vaccines, in the process of completing our third phase trials in the next one to two months,” said the Covaxin minister of Bharat Biotech, which began its third phase trials last week. Covaxin is among the five candidate vaccines undergoing trials in India and is the only indigenous candidate among them. Bharat Biotech has partnered with the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) to develop the candidate.
Read also | Final trials of local Covid-19 vaccine could end in two months, says Harsh Vardhan
2. In the United States, Moncef Slaoui, head of the US government’s virus vaccination effort, said that the country could begin its vaccination program between December 11 and 12. Speaking to CNN, Slaoui said the plan is “to be able to ship vaccines to immunization sites within 24 hours of approval” from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). 20 million people in the US could be vaccinated next month, with another 30 million per month after that, Slaoui estimated.
3. Pfizer may have applied for emergency use authorization (USA) of its vaccine candidate in the United States, but it is the United Kingdom that could grant regulatory approval before the United States, the Telegraph reported. While the US in the US is expected to be awarded in December, the UK could give approval this week, according to the report. Pfizer has developed its vaccine candidate, BNT162b2, in partnership with BioNTech SE of Germany.
4. The official Twitter account of the Russian vaccine candidate Sputnik V said on Sunday that the price per dose of the vaccine would be “much lower” than that of the vaccines of the American firms Moderna and Pfizer. “Translating pharmaceutical jargon: Pfizer’s advertised price of $ 19.50 and Moderna of $ 25 to $ 37 per dose actually means their price of $ 39 and $ 50 to $ 74 per person. Two doses per person are required for the Pfizer, Sputnik V, and Moderna vaccines. The price of Sputnik V will be much lower, ”said the official account.
(With contributions from the agency)
.
