What is Mission Covid Suraksha? All you need to know

The government on Wednesday launched ‘Mission COVID Suraksha’, which will help the development process of approximately five to six Covid-19 vaccine candidates. Starting from the research and development part of the vaccines, the mission will help them in getting licence and will finally introduce them in the market. As several vaccines are in the final phase of trials, this mission will ensure that there is supply of enough doses of these vaccine shots, once they get approval.

1. Mission Covid Suraksha entails a grant of Rs 900 crore.

2. The department of biotechnology will get this grant.

3. The mission aims at providing end-to-end passage to vaccines — from preclinical stage to manufacturing.

4. The Centre had announced this package during the third stimulus.

5. The department is supporting the development of 10 vaccines. Five vaccine candidates are in human trials, including the Russian Vaccine Sputnik-V.

6. The aim of the project is to also establish clinical trial sites and strengthen the existing immunoassay laboratories, central laboratories and suitable facilities for animal studies, production facilities and other test facilities to support Covid-19 vaccine development, the DBT said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has recently met state chief ministers via video conferencing and asked the states to be prepared.

“It is not yet decided whether there will be one, two or three doses of vaccine. Their prices are also not decided. We don’t have answers to such questions right now as there are different people in the world making it. The corporate world is involved, there is competition among them, countries have their diplomatic interests, have to wait for WHO also,” Modi said.

Five vaccines are under different phases of clinical trial in India with the Serum Institute of India conducting phase-3 trial of the Oxford-Astrazeneca Covid-19 vaccine, while the indigenously developed Bharat Biotech and ICMR vaccine has already started the phase III clinical trial. Indigenously developed vaccine by Zydus Cadila has completed phase-2 clinical trial in the country. Dr Reddy’s Laboratories will soon start combined phase 2 and 3 clinical trials of the Russian Covid-19 vaccine Sputnik V in India.

Biological E. Ltd has started early phase 1 and 2 human trials of its Covid-19 vaccine candidate.