India to Have COVID-Vaccine Within Days, Says AIIMS Director
Pune-based SII has sought approval for the vaccine-Covidshield developed along with Oxford University and global pharma giant Astra-Zeneca.
On this, the AIIMS Director Dr. Randeep Guleria India said on December 30, that India is likely to have a vaccine for COVID-19 within days. The doctor said that sufficient data was available from the Serum Institute of India (SII) on the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine against the coronavirus and India is working on the same vaccine too.
Dr. Guleria, in an interview, said that it is very good news that the UK authorities have approved AstraZeneca for its vaccine. It is a big step forward for not only India but for the rest of the world too, Dr. Guleria believes.
The doctor added that the vaccine can be stored at 2 to 8 degrees centigrade and hence it would be easy to transport and store. The vaccine can be stored in a simple fridge instead of what is needed in the Pfizer vaccine of minus 70 degrees centigrade. He also said that as a part of the universal program, the children and pregnant women will be vaccinated.
The Doctor said that the vaccine has been approved on the basis of studies in the UK, Brazil, and South Africa and we have the data from SII. Once the data is shown to the regulatory authority, they should get approval for India in a few days. He emphasized days instead of weeks or months.
Meanwhile, the CEO of Serum Institute of India (SII) said that covidshield rollout is expected in January. Also, 40-50 million doses have been stockpiled already.
Disclaimer: This article is issued in the general public interest and meant for general information purposes only. Readers are advised not to rely on the contents of the article as conclusive in nature and should research further or consult an expert in this regard.
