India Might Roll Out Covid Vaccine By Christmas Time

Last updated on February 21st, 2023 at 12:59 pm

Covid Vaccine By Christmas Time: India might have a vaccine available by Christmas time, provided the UK medicine drug regulator MHRA approves it. Locally developed in India by the Serum Institute of India (SII), the drug is called Covishied. 

With this, SII would be able to secure an emergency approval from the related agencies in India too. Right now, MHRA is trying to ascertain the efficacy of the other vaccine candidates like those developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca. 

The regulatory approval from MHRA is needed for SII to get going in India. The vaccine is under trials in Brazil and the UK and therefore needs proper approvals. The approvals from UK will also help determine the right dosages. In one group, two single doses showed a success rate of 62% while one partial dose and then a full dose showed 90percent coverage. 

The health minister Harsh Vardhan has confirmed while speaking at the video conferencing meeting inter-ministerial meeting on vaccination of South Asia organised by the World Bank, “It is expected that the vaccine will be available in the coming few weeks and the vaccination process will kick start in India as soon as it is approved by the regulatory agencies concerned.”

So far SII has made 5 million doses of the Oxford University AstraZeneca vaccine. It has now confirmed that it is going to increase its output to 10 crores doses each month from next year. The large roll out makes sense only when the requisite licenses are put in place. The Covishield vaccine still remains in the 3^rd trial phase in India but has not shown any adverse reactions expect a few that are usually expected in the administering of a new vaccine. 

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