NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a three-city visit on Saturday to personally review the vaccine development and manufacturing process.
He will visit the Zydus Biotech Park in Ahmedabad, Bharat Biotech in Hyderabad and the Serum Institute of India in Pune, Maharashtra, the Prime Minister’s Office said.
“As India enters a decisive phase in the fight against Covid-19, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to these facilities and discussions with scientists will help him gain a first-hand perspective of the preparations, challenges and the roadmap in India’s effort to vaccinate its citizens. “said the PMO.
The Prime Minister of Gujarat welcomed the Prime Minister and in a tweet said: “The whole world is considering the successful manufacture of the Covid vaccine. Millions of Indians also await it with hope. A warm welcome to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India visiting Ahmedabad itself to review the progress of that vaccine. ”
The Zydus Cadila plant is located in the Changodar industrial zone, near the city of Ahmedabad.
The company had previously announced that phase I clinical trial of its Covid-19 vaccine candidate, ZyCoV-D, has been completed and phase 2 clinical trials have begun as of August.
Post that the prime minister will visit the Serum Institute of India, which has partnered with the global pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford for the vaccine.
IBS is the world’s largest vaccine producer by volume.
On Friday the test movement of the highway routes and the landing of the Air Force helicopter was carried out. Police security has increased security ahead of Prime Minister Modi’s visit.
The prime minister also plans to visit the facilities of the vaccine manufacturer Bharat Biotech in Hyderabad.
Covaxin from Bharat Biotech is undergoing phase 3 trials.
In addition to IBS, Bharat Biotech has partnered with the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) for a domestically manufactured Covid-19 vaccine using the virus strain isolated by the Pune-based ICMR’s National Institute of Virology (NIV). .
On November 24, the Prime Minister, while speaking to the chief ministers of various states about the deteriorating pandemic situation in their states in a virtual meeting, advised states to establish cold storage facilities for the vaccine. Covid-19 in advance and suggested they prepare and submit a plan. for distribution to the central government.
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