AstraZeneca and locally made COVID-19 vaccines approved for roll-out

NEW DELHI (AP):

India authorised two COVID-19 vaccines on Sunday, paving the way for a huge inoculation programme to stem the coronavirus pandemic in the world’s second most populous country.

The country’s drugs regulator gave emergency authorisation for the vaccine developed by Oxford University and UK-based drugmaker AstraZeneca, and another developed by the Indian company Bharat Biotech.

Drugs Controller General Dr Venugopal G. Somani said that both vaccines would be administered in two dosages. He said the decision to approve the vaccines was made after “careful examination” by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation, India’s pharmaceutical regulator.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the vaccine approval a “decisive turning point to strengthen a spirited fight”.

“It would make every Indian proud that the two vaccines that have been given emergency-use approval are made in India!” Modi tweeted.

AstraZeneca has contracted Serum Institute of India, the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer, to make one billion doses of its vaccine for developing nations, including India. Last Wednesday, Britain became the first country to approve the shot.

QUESTIONS RAISED

But questions have been raised by health experts over the vaccine developed by Bharat Biotech. They point out that clinical trials began only recently, making it almost impossible for the firm to have analysed and submitted data showing that its shots are effective in preventing illness from the coronavirus.

India has confirmed more than 10.3 million cases of the virus, second in the world behind the US, though its rate of infection has come down significantly from a mid-September peak. It also has reported over 149,000 deaths.

The country’s initial immunisation plan aims to vaccinate 300 million people – healthcare workers; front-line staff, including police; and those considered vulnerable due to their age or other diseases – by August 2021. For effective distribution, over 20,000 health workers have been trained so far to administer the vaccine, the health ministry said.

But the plan poses a major challenge. India has one of the world’s largest immunisation programmes, but it isn’t geared around adults, and vaccine coverage remains patchy. Still, neither of the approved vaccines requires the ultra-cold storage facilities that some others do. Instead, they can be stored in refrigerators, making them more feasible for the country.

Indian regulators are still considering approvals for other vaccines, including one made by Pfizer.