With India’s Covid-19 tally now at more than 33 lakh, the country may overtake Brazil sometime in the next two weeks if the cases continue to grow at the current pace.
Pharmaceutical companies in India and around the world are racing to find a vaccine for Covid-19 which has infected more than 24 million people globally.
A total of 26 vaccine candidates are being developed, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Amid the rising number of Covid-19 cases in the country, Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan on Thursday directed states to focus on districts with high case fatality rate and refine and strengthen approach and strategies relating to testing, contact-tracing, surveillance, containment, home isolation, availability of ambulances, hospital beds, oxygen, treatment protocols, etc.
Here are all the latest updates on Covid-19 vaccine in India and recent developments:
•Five more volunteers were inoculated with the Oxford Covid-19 vaccine candidate in Pune district as part of the phase II clinical trial launched in search for an antidote against the viral infection that is showing no signs of abating in the country. Three of the volunteers were administered the Oxford Covid-19 vaccine candidate at Bharti Vidyapeeth’s Medical College and Hospital in Pune city, a senior doctor from the medical facility said. The volunteers who were administered the vaccine have shown normal vitals following the dose.
•Premas Biotech has said its vaccine candidate for Covid-19 treatment has shown positive results, inducing a neutralising immune response in animal studies. The company is in talks with the Indian regulatory authorities concerned to plan and initiate next steps towards conducting human trials, Premas Biotech said in a statement.
{{/usCountry}}•Premas Biotech has said its vaccine candidate for Covid-19 treatment has shown positive results, inducing a neutralising immune response in animal studies. The company is in talks with the Indian regulatory authorities concerned to plan and initiate next steps towards conducting human trials, Premas Biotech said in a statement.
{{/usCountry}}•Serum Institute of India, the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer by volume, selected 17 sites in India to conduct the Phase II trial of Oxford Covid-19 vaccine. A total of 1,600 candidates will take part in the study.
•Communication between India and Russia are on as far as Sputnik V, the Covid vaccine, is concerned, the Union Health Ministry had said. “As far as Sputnik-5 vaccine is concerned, India and Russia are in communication. Some initial information have been shared,” Rajesh Bhushan, Secretary, Union health ministry said while briefing the media.
•Covaxin, one of the three vaccine candidates against Covid-19 being developed in India, has been approved for skin trials by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO).