Many companies across the globe are racing to develop a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine because the world needs it. While companies are busy developing the COVID-19 vaccine, the Indian government expects that the COVID-19 vaccine to be ready for sale by December if clinical trials are successful, reported Live Mint.
A senior health ministry official told Live Mint that it depends on how the trials go and when the vaccines get regulatory approval. "But the earliest it is expected in late December or January," the official said.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said that India's contribution will be critical to fighting COVID-19, especially when it comes to making vaccines for the whole world, assuring that the government has accorded top-most priority to research and manufacturing to ensure that the vaccine reaches the last person.
He said that the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration is working on all aspects, besides designing innovative approaches to distribute vaccines in rural and remote regions, the Health Ministry said in its statement.
The health minister said the present research agenda for COVID-19 has been to provide an affordable vaccine as well as to ensure its equitable distribution. Currently, three Indian pharma companies in partnership with foreign or domestic research institutes are expediting the trials of the vaccine, the statement said.
The Serum Institute of India is currently conducting Phase 2 and 3 trials of the Oxford COVID-19 vaccine. While other vaccine makers Bharat Biotech and Zydus Cadila are currently testing their indigenously developed vaccines in Phase 1 / 2 clinical trial.
