As Covid-19 cases cross 24 million globally, a look at 5 much-awaited vaccines
Scientists across the world are working for an affordable Covid-19 vaccine as the infection tally has crossed the 24 million-mark worldwide on Thursday. As many as 822,000 people have died due to the virus.
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United States has the highest number of cases in the world (5.9 million), followed by Brazil (3.72 million), India (3.31 million).
Here is a look at Covid-19 vaccines under trial:
Oxford’s ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine
The vaccine is being developed by University of Oxford in association with Pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca. The Phase II clinical trial of the vaccine, being manufactured by the city-based Serum Institute of India (SII) in India, began at a medical college and hospital in Pune. This vaccine is expected to be out till December 2020 and the estimated price of the vaccine will be $4 ( ₹295).
Moderna vaccine
American drug company Moderna’s mRNA-1273 vaccine is in the third phase of its trial. The sample size for this trial is 30,000 and it is expected to be complete by September-end. The biotechnology company Moderna plans to roll out the vaccine by the end of this year. Its price is expected to be between Rs1,800 and Rs23,00.
Also Watch | Covid vaccine: India, Russia in talks after Putin declares drug ready-for-use
Vaccine by China’s Sinopharm
Chinese company Sinopharm has announced that it will launch a Covid-19 vaccine by the end of 2020. The third phase of this potential vaccine’s trial is underway in the UAE. Two doses of this vaccine will reportedly cost ₹10,700.
CanSino Biologics Inc’s vaccine Ad5-nCoV
According to another Chinese company, CanSino Biologics Inc, its Covid-19 vaccine Ad5-nCoV has got patent rights. This vaccine has been developed in association with Beijing Institute of Biotechnology. This vaccine too is expected to be launched by the end of this year. There has been no revelation about the price of the vaccine.
Russia’s Sputnik V
Russia had claimed to have launched the world’s first Covid-19 vaccine, Sputnik V, on August 11. Russian President Vladimir Putin had said that the vaccine was safe and showed “stable immunity” against coronavirus. However, the vaccine has not undergone the third stage of trail. As many as 40,000 volunteers will participate in the trial. According to Moscow-based Gamaleya Institute, the vaccine will be out by September-end. The price of the vaccine has not been announced yet.
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