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India approved the Covid-19 vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford, paving the way for a massive immunization campaign in the second most populous country in the world.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said on Saturday that the vaccine received the green light on Friday.
It is the first Covid-19 vaccine approved for emergency use in India, which has the highest number of infections after the United States.
The decision was made on the same day as a national vaccine delivery drill, in which health workers received mock vaccines at each of the centers that will be used across the country.
Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said the exercise would help develop expertise “so that the next vaccination campaign can continue without any problems.” He has also called for a campaign to counter “misleading rumors” that can discourage people from getting the vaccine.
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, Serum’s Covishield.” he said. The Oxford / AstraZeneca injection is being manufactured locally by the Serum Institute of India (SII).
The Indian Central Standard Medicines Control Organization (CDSCO) is expected to announce the dosage and other details later. A full two-dose regimen has been ordered approximately 28 days apart.
The Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine, which received its first approval from Britain on Tuesday, is cheaper and easier to use than some rivals – huge advantages in dealing with a pandemic that has claimed more than 1.8 million lives across the world. world.
However, there has been 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 vaccine from Pfizer and the German company BioNTech, the first to gain regulatory approval in the west.
India has reported more than 10 million cases of Covid, although its infection rate has dropped significantly from a peak in mid-September. The country expects to vaccinate 300 million of its 1.35 billion inhabitants in the first six to eight months of the year.
SII, the world’s largest vaccine producer, has already stockpiled around 50 million doses of the Oxford / AstraZeneca product, which will be sold to the government at around Rs 250 (£ 2.50) a dose and Rs 1,000 on the private market.
Britain and Argentina approved the Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine this week, and the World Health Organization granted emergency validation to the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine on Thursday.
Covishield is expected to be used more widely in India because it can be stored and transported under normal refrigeration. Pfizer product should be stored at ultra low temperatures.
