Experts at India's drugs regulator have recommended two coronavirus vaccines for emergency use.
As per the Indian government, the two coronavirus vaccines recommended for emergency use include one developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University and the other backed by a state-run institute, the government said on Saturday. The approved recommendations would be paving the way for a huge immunization campaign in the world's second-most populous country.
The other vaccine, known as COVAXIN, has been developed locally by Bharat Biotech and the government-run Indian Council of Medical Research. Citing sources, Reuters reported on Friday that the shot could be approved, though little is known about the results of its clinical trials.
The government of India has said that the final decision on the two vaccines would be made by the Central Drugs Standards Control Organisation's (CDSCO) chief, who has called a news conference on Sunday. The process for the final approval is expected to be a formality given the urgency for a vaccine in the country with the highest number of COVID-19 infections in the world after the United States.
In addition, the Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar has told reporters that two other vaccines were waiting to be approved. If the vaccines developed by the Indian Pharmaceutical company, Zydus Cadila, and Russia's Sputnik V gets approved, India could be the only country where four vaccines would be in use. Currently, both the vaccines from Zydus Cadila and Russia are both on trial in India.
As per the Indian government, the two coronavirus vaccines recommended for emergency use include one developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University and the other backed by a state-run institute, the government said on Saturday. The approved recommendations would be paving the way for a huge immunization campaign in the world's second-most populous country.
The other vaccine, known as COVAXIN, has been developed locally by Bharat Biotech and the government-run Indian Council of Medical Research. Citing sources, Reuters reported on Friday that the shot could be approved, though little is known about the results of its clinical trials.
The government of India has said that the final decision on the two vaccines would be made by the Central Drugs Standards Control Organisation's (CDSCO) chief, who has called a news conference on Sunday. The process for the final approval is expected to be a formality given the urgency for a vaccine in the country with the highest number of COVID-19 infections in the world after the United States.
In addition, the Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar has told reporters that two other vaccines were waiting to be approved. If the vaccines developed by the Indian Pharmaceutical company, Zydus Cadila, and Russia's Sputnik V gets approved, India could be the only country where four vaccines would be in use. Currently, both the vaccines from Zydus Cadila and Russia are both on trial in India.
