India may be first to get DNA vax for Covid: Mandaviya

NEW DELHI: After a politically charged discussion on the Covid-19 situation in the Rajya Sabha, new health minister Mansukh Mandaviya said that vaccine supplies were improving and goals will be met even as he reiterated that the government is very clear that there should be no politics in the ongoing crisis.
Assuaging fears over inadequate vaccine supplies to meet demand, Mandaviya said companies manufacturing the vaccines indigenously are increasing their production and the country may become the first in the world to develop a DNA-based vaccine. He said a third wave can be averted through “bhagidari” between the Centre and the states.
He said technology transfer to several companies has started and they will begin production in coming days to reduce vaccine shortfalls in the country.
He shared that Serum Institute of India is in a position to provide 11 to 12 crore doses of Covishield a month and Bharat Biotech will be providing 2.5 crore doses in July and 3.5 crore in August. He also said Zydus Cadila has completed the third phase trial and has applied for emergency use authorisation to the Drugs Controller General of India. If production starts, it may become the first DNA vaccine developed by Indian scientists. The minister said it is not appropriate to say the third wave will hit children more citing experience based on data from the first and second waves.