February, To Greet India-made COVID-19 vaccine
- 05-Nov-2020
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An Indian government-backed COVID-19 vaccine could be launched as early as February. As last-stage trials begin this month and studies have so far showed it is safe and effective, a senior government scientist told.
Bharat Biotech, a private company that is developing COVAXIN with the government-run Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), had earlier hoped to launch it only in the second quarter of next year.
Senior ICMR scientist Rajni Kant, who is also a member of its COVID-19 task-force, showed his eagerness about the launch of COVID-19 Vaccine at the research body’s New Delhi headquarters on Thursday.
Bharat Biotech could not immediately be contacted. A launch in February would make COVAXIN the first India-made vaccine to be rolled out.
India’s cases of coronavirus infections rose by 50,201 cases on Thursday to 8.36 million, second only to the United States. Deaths rose by 704, with the total now at 124,315. The daily rise in infections and deaths has slowed since a peak in mid-September.
Kant, who is the head of ICMR’s research management, policy, planning and coordination cell, said it was up to the health ministry to decide if COVAXIN shots can be given to people even before the third-stage trials are over.
It has shown safety and efficacy in the phase 1 and 2 trials and in the animal studies – so it is safe but you can’t be 100% sure unless the phase 3 trials are over, says Kant.
