COVID-19 vaccine: ICMR aims to launch COVAXIN by August 15

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said that it plans to launch the COVID-19 vaccine being developed in partnership with Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech for public use by August 15.

Bharat Biotech recently got an approval for clinical trial of its vaccine, Covaxin. The official statement reads, "This is the first indigenous vaccine being developed by India and is one of the top priority projects which is being monitored at the topmost level of the Government. The vaccine is derived from a strain of SARS-CoV-2 isolated by ICMR-National Institute of Virology, Pune. ICMR and BBIL are jointly working for the preclinical as well as clinical development of this vaccine.”

It adds, “It is envisaged to launch the vaccine for public health use latest by 15th August 2020 after completion of all clinical trials. BBIL is working expeditiously to meet the target, however, the final outcome will depend on the cooperation of all clinical trial sites involved in this project.”

ICMR has nominated 12 institutes, including one from Odisha, for the clinical trial of India’s first indigenous coronavirus vaccine. In view of the public health outbreak due to the contagion and insistence to unveil the vaccine, the nominated institutes are strictly advised to fast track all approvals related to the start of the clinical trial and safeguard that the subject conscription is started during the first week of July.

Meanwhile, India recorded 19,148 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours. The death tally jumped by 434, as per the latest figures shared by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Now, the positive cases in the country stand at 6,04,641 comprising of 2,26,947 active cases. The tally of deaths reported so far stands at 17,834.