In January, India will begin vaccinating individuals against COVID-19 and the safety and efficacy of the vaccine has been the top priority of the government, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said.
“Personally I think it may be January at any stage or any week, there may be a time when we may be able to give Indians the first COVID vaccine,”
The Minister confirmed that the regulator is analysing vaccines, including those that have applied for emergency use authorisation. “India is not less than any country when it comes to Covid-19 vaccine and research. Our first priority has been the safety and efficacy of the vaccine. We do not want any comprise on that. Our regulators are analysing them with seriousness,”
The minister said on Saturday that the country's scientists and health experts have been working to create an indigenous vaccine and that India will have the capacity to inoculate about 30 million people over the next six to seven months.
“Our scientists and health experts have been working on the development of a vaccine by genome sequencing and isolation of the coronavirus and developed a native vaccine. In 6-7 months, we will have the capacity to inoculate about 30 crore of people. “
Six COVID-19 vaccine candidates, including Covishield, Covaxin, ZyCoV-D, Sputnik V, NVX-CoV2373 and a recombinant protein antigen vaccine, are different at various stages of clinical trials in India.