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Boxes containing vials of AstraZeneca’s COVISHIELD, the vaccine against coronavirus disease (COVID-19) are viewed inside a cold room at the Serum Institute of India, in Pune, India, on November 30, 2020. Photograph taken on November 30, 2020. REUTERS / Francis Mascarenhas
NEW DELHI —India approved the COVID-19 vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford, paving the way for a massive immunization campaign in the world’s second most populous country.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar told reporters on Saturday that the vaccine had received the green light on Friday, confirming what sources close to the matter had told Reuters.
It is the first COVID-19 vaccine approved for emergency use by India, which has the highest number of infections after the United States, and it comes on the day the country conducts a nationwide drill for vaccine delivery.
Javadekar said that at least three more vaccines were waiting to be approved: COVAXIN from local company Bharat Biotch, ZyCoV-D from Zydus Cadila and Sputnik-V from Russia.
“India is perhaps the only country where at least four vaccines are being prepared,” he said.
“One was approved yesterday for emergency use, the COVISHIELD Serum.” he said, referring to the fact that the AstraZeneca / Oxford injection is being done locally by the Serum Institute of India (SII).
The Central Medicines Control Organization (CDSCO) of India 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 AstraZeneca / Oxford vaccine, which received its first UK approval on Tuesday, is cheaper and easier to use than some rival vaccines – major advantages in tackling a pandemic that has claimed more than 1.8 million lives worldwide. 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 Inc with Germany’s BioNTech, the first opportunity to secure regulatory approval in the West.
India has reported more than 10 million cases of COVID-19, 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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