New Delhi, January 2: The Drug Controller General of India (DCGI), country's apex regulatory authority for medicinal products, would be addressing the press at 11 am tomorrow, January 3. The media briefing was scheduled to likely issue a key announcement on COVID-19 vaccines Covishield and Covaxin, which have received clearance from a key expert panel.

The Subject Expert Committee (SEC) of Central Drugs Standards Control Organisation (CDSCO) had, on Friday, granted approval for emergency usage to Covishield - the Indian version of Oxford-AstraZeneca Vaccine being manufactured by Pune-based Serum Institute of India. Bharat Biotech's Covaxin Gets CDSCO Panel Nod, India's 2nd Vaccine Candidate to Receive Emergency Use Approval.

Earlier today, the CDSCO nod was received by Bharat Biotech, which is developing the indigenous COVID-19 vaccine 'Covaxin'. If the emergency usage authorisation is validated by the DCGI, the decks would be cleared for the rollout of both the vaccines.

DCGI Briefing at 11 AM Tomorrow: ET Scribe

The Union Health Ministry has drawn out a strategy for vaccination, which includes inoculation of frontline workers including healthcare and police personnel, along with those aged above 50 and persons with co-morbidities in the first phase.

The government expects to ramp up the vaccination drive in the coming months and cover around 30 crore of the population by July. For vaccinating the targeted number of citizens, at least 60 crore doses of the vaccine would be required.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 02, 2021 09:08 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).