MORE VACCINES WILL GET GOVT NOD IN COMING MONTHS: MINISTER

NEW DELHI : India may see more Covid-19 vaccines being approved for emergency use in the next few months, the country’s health minister Harsh Vardhan said, adding that sale of vaccines in the open market may not be allowed as long as they only have an emergency use authorisation.

Mentioning that there are around 18-19 Covid-19 vaccines in various stages of development in the country, he added that it would “not be proper for me right now to say which vaccine will get, and how many days or weeks or months will take for emergency approval because that is something which is not given by the health minister or senior officials who are sitting on the dais.” The minister was speaking at a press conference.

According to Hindustan Times’ own reporting, there are currently two vaccines in Phase 3 clinical trials in the country.

India has so far approved two vaccines for emergency use, Serum Institute’s Covishield and Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin, for emergency use. No private sales of vaccines are allowed for now.

“The research for other Covid-19 vaccine candidates is already there. Department of biotechnology has been given specifically ₹900 crore to help such candidates, who have a potential...,” the health minister said. “For vaccination to pick in the country, the government would need to open it beyond essential services,” said Dr K Srinath Reddy, founder, public health foundation of India.