Vaccine deals in the works with candidates, producers

has been a steady, almost linear trend of reduction in the CFR. The current CFR (on August 20) is 1.9%.

The effective containment, aggressive testing with contact tracing and standardized clinical management protocols based on a holistic standard-ofcare approach continues to result in a progressively reducing CFR and keep it well below the global average.

Three India-made vaccines have entered advanced stage trials. If successful, by when will a vaccine be ready for use?

Vaccine trials against Covid-19 are being fast-tracked globally. It is expected that the trials of India-made vaccines would be completed by the end of this year.

We will know the efficacy of vaccines by then. The Oxford vaccine produced by Serum Institute of India is already being produced parallelly, so that the time required to market it will be reduced to a larger extent.

The other two vaccines may require at least a month more to produce it and introduce in the market in a phased manner. It is expected that if the vaccine trial results are good, we could be ready to use the vaccine by the first quarter of 2021.

Human trials of Covaxin, which has been developed and manufactured in Hyderabad by Bharat Biotech, started about two week back and it may be available by end of the year.

Serum Institute of India said it is ready to begin human trials in India this month and is hoping to have the Astrazeneca vaccine available by the yearend.

ZYCOV-D from Zydus Cadila has started clinical trials with the first human dosing and is likely to complete clinical trials in few months.

Several countries have preordered millions of doses of Covid-19 vaccines. What are India’s procurement plans?

The details of the procurement plan are being developed by the ministry of health and family welfare, but it is important to note that India has the world’s largest vaccine manufacturing industrial base that provides two-thirds of childhood vaccines used across the world.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is collaborating with Bharat Biotech and has entered into an MOU that clearly states that priority will be accorded to provide vaccines, if successful, to the Government of India at an affordable and subsidised rate.

A similar agreement is in the advanced stages of negotiation with the Serum Institute of India for three Covid-19 vaccine trials to be supported by ICMR. Serum institute and ICMR are to undertake the trials of

Oxford vaccine and two others – one produced by Novamox-serum and another by Serum Institute by itself.

Once the results of Phase I and II will be available, the detailed contours of plan to roll out will be finalised.

Who will be vaccinated first?

Health care workers, front-line workers and vulnerable subgroups such as persons over the age 65 years and those with chronic morbidities will be prioritised.

Then, depending on the number of available doses, a special drive to provide vaccines to all will be developed and implemented.