New COVID-19 Vaccines Will Be Out in 90 Days: Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan

Union Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan says that in the coming 2-3 months, India will be all set to roll out new COVID-19 vaccines. The vaccines will be authorised for emergency use. And therefore its sale in the open market may not be allowed, the Minister added.

India currently has two vaccines accorded for emergency use, Serum Institute’s Covishield and Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin. The Minister stated that there has not been even a single death in India due to COVID-19 vaccine and the rate of hospitalisation following the vaccine is also negligible.

Dr. Harsh Vardhan said at the conference that there are around 18-19 COVID-19 vaccines in different stages of development in India. It would not be proper for him to comment on which vaccine will get approval or how much time will it take for the approval, he added. The government has allocated Rs. 35,000 crore for vaccination in India.

Commenting on the progress of other COVID-19 vaccines, the Health Minister said that the research has been going on. The Department of biotechnology has been provided Rs. 900 crore specifically to help the candidates involved in the research.

Dr. K. Srinath Reddy, the Founder, Public Health Foundation of India, said that the government would require to open COVID-19 vaccination beyond essential services, and soon by May it would be clear if India is successful in covering the target population groups.

However, the Union Health Minister believes that COVID-19 has strengthened India’s potential. We turned a crisis into opportunity, he added.

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Disclaimer: This article is issued in the general public interest and meant for general information purposes only. Readers are advised not to rely on the contents of the article as conclusive in nature and should research further or consult an expert in this regard.