The approval paves the way for the deployment of at least two vaccines in India in the coming days.
New Delhi:
The World Health Organization welcomed India’s decision to authorize the emergency use of two COVID-19 vaccines on Sunday, saying it will “help intensify and strengthen the fight against the pandemic in the region.”
India’s drug regulator approved the Oxford COVID-19 Covishield vaccine, manufactured by the Serum Institute, and locally developed Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin for emergency restricted use in the country.
“The use of the vaccine in prioritized populations, along with the continued implementation of other public health measures and community participation will be important to reduce the impact of COVID-19,” said Dr. Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director of the Region South-East Asia Council.
The approval by the Comptroller General of Medicines of India (DCGI) was granted on the basis of the recommendations put forward by a committee of experts on the subject COVID-19 (SEC) of the Central Medicines Standards Control Organization (CDSCO ).
This paves the way for the deployment of at least two vaccines in India in the coming days.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted that the expedited approvals were “a decisive turning point in strengthening an energetic fight” that “accelerates the path to a healthier and Covid-free nation.”
The approval came a day after India rehearsed for a massive coronavirus vaccination campaign on Saturday. A test was carried out in every state and territory in the Union on Saturday in preparation for a mass vaccination campaign, and Health Minister Harsh Vardhan called on people not to be fooled by rumors and misinformation. on the safety and efficacy of the coronavirus vaccine.
India is the second most infected nation in the world with more than 1.03 million cases and nearly 1.50,000 deaths, although its infection rate has dropped significantly from a mid-September peak of more than 90,000 daily cases.
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