Covishield, Covaxin cleared for regular market approval

NEW DELHI: An expert panel of the central drug authority has recommended that regular market approval be given to Covishield and Covaxin, reports India Today’s news portal.

A market authorisation means the vaccine can be authorised for use without reservations or conditions. Both the Serum Institute and Bharat Biotech have confirmed receiving the approval from the subject expert committee (SEC).

This essentially means that vaccines will be now easily available at clinics and hospitals registered with CoWin. At the time of administration, the clinic/hospital will put in details in CoWIN.

ENDEMIC BY MARCH 11: Meanwhile, the head of Indian Council of Medical Research’s Epidemiological Department Samiran Panda has projected that Covid will become endemic by March 11.

“If we don’t let our guards down and no new variant emerges, Covid will be endemic by March 11,” he said, reports India Today. “If Omicron replaces Delta it will become endemic. If there is no new variant catching up, there is a possibility that Covid may become endemic,” he added.

‘‘Our mathematical projection shows the Omicron wave will last three months starting December 11,’’ he said. “From March 11, we will see some respite. We need to wait two more weeks before we can say Delhi and Mumbai have reached their peaks of Covid cases and whether the worst is over. We can’t establish a trend like that in a few days,” he said, adds the news portal.

“We can’t say that right now even with the decline in cases and positivity [in Delhi and Mumbai],” he said. Panda added Delhi and Mumbai have a roughly 80:20 ratio for Omicron and Delta variants of coronavirus.

Published on: Wednesday, January 19, 2022, 11:27 PM IST