Mission Covid Suraksha: The Indian government launched a new initiative in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic called ‘Mission Covid Suraksha’ on Wednesday. This initiative will facilitate the development process of nearly five to six vaccine candidates in the country which means the procedure will be accelerated. 

Through this project, it will be easier for the authorities to process the vaccine into the markets by bringing it closer to the licensure. This is a surety or guarantee provided to the covid-19 vaccine development as this ensures end to end focus. 

Starting from preclinical arrangements to manufacturing and regulatory facilitations, everything will be taken care of, asserted the Department of Biotechnology. Earlier this month, the centre announced a package of Rs 900 crore for the coronavirus vaccines.

The mission will keep a note of the doses and shots after the vaccine is made available in the market. Doing this becomes even more important given the fact that many vaccines are under development and have already reached the finals stages. 

”This will help accelerate development of approximately five-six vaccine candidates and ensure that these are brought closer to licensure and introduction in the market for consideration of regulatory authorities for introduction in public health systems to combat further spread of COVID infection,” the DBT said. 

The Prime Minister Narendra Modi also asked the chief minister of all the states to be prepared for this via video conferencing. 

He said, “It is not yet decided whether there will be one, two or three doses of vaccine. Their prices are also not decided. We don’t have answers to such questions right now as there are different people in the world making it. The corporate world is involved, there is competition among them, countries have their diplomatic interests, and have to wait for WHO also.”

In India, currently there are five vaccines that are being developed but all are in different phases of trial. Serum Institute of India has announced that it is conducting trials of the Oxford Astrazeneca vaccines and it is the last phase of trial. 

Another vaccine developed in India is under Bharat Biotech and ICMR and has just entered the third phase. Apart from this, India also has a vaccine developed by Zydus Cadila which has recently completed its phase two trials.