When Will COVID-19 Vaccination Begin in India? Here's What Govt Has Indicated on Vaccine Rollout
Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, while speaking to the reporters last week, said the vaccine could be rolled out in any week of January. He, however, underlined that the regulatory bodies would not be undermining the standards of safety before clearing the vaccine candidates.
New Delhi, December 29: A vaccination drive, across the nation, is expected to begin shortly as the government is close to grant emergency clearance to a couple of vaccine makers in the fray. The immunisation programme against COVID-19 has begun in leading democracies across the world, including the United States, the United Kingdom and member states of the European Union.
Amongst the third-world countries, India is apparently poised to take a lead in vaccine rollout and distribution. The country, one of the largest manufacturers of drugs and pharmaceutical products, is also expected to play a key role in global COVID-19 vaccine supply chain. Dry Run for COVID-19 Vaccine Conducted Successfully in 4 States.
When Will COVID-19 Vaccination Begin in India?
The government is yet to release an exact schedule, but the Health Ministry has indicated that the early phase of inoculation could begin next month. The initial round of immunisation would cover healthcare workers, senior citizens, those aged above 50 and those with comorbidities.
While around eight promising vaccine candidates are being developed in India, three are under consideration before the health authorities for emergency use authorisation.
The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) is examining the plea for regulatory clearance submitted by Pfizer-BioNTech - which has been rolled out in the US, UK and Europe, the Hyderabad-based Bharat BioTech and the Oxford-AstraZeneca candidate being developed by Serum Institute of India.
What The Govt Has Indicated on Vaccine Rollout
Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, while speaking to the reporters last week, said the vaccine could be rolled out in any week of January. He, however, underlined that the regulatory bodies would not be undermining the standards of safety before clearing the vaccine candidates.
"We don't want to compromise on that. I personally feel, maybe in any week of January, we can be in a position to give first COVID vaccine shot to people of India," he said.
Vardhan also added that the scientists and researchers in India would boost the production of indigenous vaccines in the months to come. In the next six or seven months, the country will have the capacity to inoculate around 30 crore citizens, he said.
Serum Institute of India (SII), the largest vaccine manufacturer in India which is producing 'Covishield' - the Oxford-AstraZeneca candidate in India - is ready with a stockpile of 40-50 million doses which can be rolled out next month following the grant of regulatory approval.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 29, 2020 05:02 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).