India approves two vaccines for emergency use

World

Published: 2021-01-03 16:58

Last Updated: 2024-03-29 06:43


India approves two vaccines for emergency use
India approves two vaccines for emergency use

Sunday, India authorized the emergency use of two coronavirus vaccines developed by AstraZeneca-Oxford University and by local pharma company Bharat Biotech, India’s drug regulator, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), said.

The Drug Controller General of India V.G Somani said, “After adequate examination, the CDSCO has decided to accept the recommendations of the export committee and accordingly vaccines of Serum Institute [AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine] and Bharat Biotech are being approved for restricted use in emergency situations.”

The Serum Institute of India is the largest vaccine manufacturer in the world, and is set to make between 50-60 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine per month.

Serum Institute’s chief executive Adar Poonawalla tweeted after the approvals that the vaccine would be "ready to roll-out in the coming weeks."

The state vaccine has not completed their third and final phase of trials, however, Somani said the company's vaccines were approved for restricted use in the "public interest as an abundant precaution, in clinical trial mode, to have more options for vaccinations, especially in case of infection by mutant strains."

But he added to reporters after the briefing that the drug regulator would "never approve anything if there is the slightest safety concern."

"The vaccines are 100 percent safe," he said, adding that side effects such as "mild fever, pain and allergy are common for every vaccine."

Both the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine and the Bharat Biotech vaccine are administered in two doses and can be stored in normal refrigeration temperatures, making them more feasible and cost-efficient.

According to Somani, the government had prepared health care workers for the mass inoculations by holding nationwide training with 96,000 medical personnel now trained to administer the vaccines.

The inoculations are said to be the biggest vaccination program the world will see in the country with a population of 1.3 billion.

-COVID-free nation-

In light of this, the PM of India, Narendra Modi tweeted that the emergency approvals were "a decisive turning point to strengthen a spirited fight" that "accelerates the road to a healthier and COVID-free nation."

The World Health Organization (WHO) also welcomed the news. In statements, WHO’s regional director Poonam Singh said that the “use of vaccine[s] in prioritized populations, along with continued implementation of other public health measures and community participation will be important in reducing the impact of COVID-19.”

-Vaccine scepticism-

The emergency approval was met with skepticism by the general public. Many feared the safety of the vaccines.

According to AFP, a survey of 18,000 people across India found that 69 percent were in no rush to get vaccinated.

"I was excited initially about the vaccine but not anymore because I don't trust it. I am not going to be inoculated," banker Vijaya Das told AFP, echoing fears common across the country.

India has recorded over 10.3 million infections and close to 150,000 deaths.