New Delhi: In his weekly address Sunday Samvaad Union health minister Harsh Vardhan spoke about when the country is likely to get a vaccine against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) and who will be the first to get the shots against the viral infection.
Watch here:
OnlineClasses By Dr Harsh Vardhan : बच्चों की आंखों को होने वाले नुकसान से क्या हैं बचाव के उपाय? https://t.co/nrKnYFTuYK
— Newsroom Post (@NewsroomPostCom) October 4, 2020
Earlier, Harsh Vardhan had said the first vaccine for COVID-19 is likely to be available in the first quarter of 2021. “Research to develop a vaccine is being done expeditiously. There are at least three such viable vaccine candidates that are in the phase of clinical trials right now in the country. We are hopeful that within first quarter of 2021 it will be available,” he had said.
COVID-19 vaccines undertrials in India
Covaxin: Covaxin, India’s indigenous COVID-19 vaccine is being developed by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) – National Institute of Virology (NIV).
Covishield: The Serum Institute of India (SII) and Indian Council of Medical Research are jointly conducting a Phase II/III, Observer-Blind, Randomized, Controlled Study to Determine the Safety and Immunogenicity of Covishield (COVID-19 Vaccine).
ZyCoV-D: Zydus Cadila, focused on discovering and developing NCEs, Novel Biologicals, Biosimilars and Vaccines, announced that its plasmid DNA vaccine to prevent COVID-19, ZyCoV-D. Safety in Phase I clinical trial of ZyCoV-D in healthy subjects established as endorsed by the independent Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB). Zydus commenced Phase II trial.
Meanwhile, India’s COVID-19 death toll surpassed 1 lakh mark on Saturday according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The tally of people infected with coronavirus is 64,73,545. The total COVID-19 count includes 9,44,996 active cases and 54,27,707 cured, discharged, or migrated cases.
India is faring better than many developed nations in all parameters of COVID-19, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan had said as he highlighted the “continuously rising” recovery rate and “progressively falling” fatality rate in the country.