The other vaccine, known as COVAXIN, has been developed locally by Bharat Biotech and the government-run Indian Council for Medical Research. Reuters, citing sources, reported on Friday that the injection could be approved, although little is known about the results of its clinical trials. “Granting permission for restricted use in emergency situations of public interest as abundant precaution, in clinical trial mode, especially in the context of infection by mutant strains,” the government cited the experts’ recommendation for COVAXIN, referring to the new strain of virus first detected in Great Britain.
For the AstraZeneca / Oxford vaccine, approval was “subject to multiple regulatory conditionalities,” he said, without giving details. Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar told reporters earlier that two other vaccines were waiting to be approved: Zydus Cadila’s ZyCoV-D and Russia’s Sputnik V, both being tested in India. “India is perhaps the only country where four vaccines are being prepared,” he said.
“One was approved yesterday for emergency use, Serum’s COVISHIELD.” he said, referring to the fact that the AstraZeneca / Oxford injection is being done locally by the Serum Institute of India (SII). The CDSCO is expected to announce the dosage and other details about the injection later. IBS had requested a two full dose regimen approximately 28 days apart.
The news of COVAXIN’s approval came after BJP lawmaker Subramanian Swamy complained on Twitter that a shot developed abroad had been approved, while a local tested on thousands of people at home was “in the ditch”. “We thank the citizens of India for showing confidence in an Indian-made vaccine!” Said Bharat Biotech in response to Swamy’s tweet, after his vaccine was recommended.
The AstraZeneca / Oxford vaccine, which received its first approval from Britain on Tuesday, is cheaper and easier to use than some rival vaccines, such as Pfizer Inc.’s, a huge advantage in tackling a pandemic that has taken hold. more than 1.8 million. lives all over the world. However, it has been plagued by uncertainty about its most effective dose since data published in November showed that a half dose followed by a full dose had a 90% success rate, while two full injections were 62% effective. . The Indian regulator also received an emergency use request for the COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer with Germany’s BioNTech, the first opportunity to secure regulatory approval in the West.
India has reported more than 10.3 million COVID-19 cases and around 150,000 deaths, although its infection rate has dropped significantly from a peak in mid-September. The country hopes to vaccinate 300 million of its 1.35 billion people in the first six to eight months of this year. IBS, the world’s largest vaccine producer, has already stockpiled around 50 million doses of the AstraZeneca / Oxford injection, which will be sold to the government at about Rs 250 ($ 3.42) per dose and Rs 1,000 on the private market. .
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