Around 19 Covid Vaccines Lined Up In Coming Months, No New Cases In 188 Districts In A Week, Says Harsh Vardhan

In the next 2-3 weeks, the government will begin the vaccination drive against Covid-19 for people above 50 years of age.

With India completing its first month of covid vaccination drive, the race to produce vaccination to fight the deadly disease is still on and around 18-19 coronavirus vaccine candidates are in different clinical trial stages and may be available in the coming months.

Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII), the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer that manfuactured 1.5 billion doses last fiscal, is increasing its capacity (including non-Covid vaccines) to 2.5 billion by the end of 2021. Of this, around two billion doses is expected by June. Similarly, Bharat Biotech is on track to have 150 million doses ready by June, as per Business Standard report.

What is in the pipeline?

“In the next 2-3 weeks, vaccination against Covid-19 will get started for people above 50 years of age,” informed Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, as per PTI report. "About 18-19 vaccine candidates against Covid-19 are in the pipeline and are in preclinical, clinical and advanced stages. We are hopeful that we will be able to offer newer vaccines to India in the coming months," Vardhan added.

The government intends to bear the cost of vaccination at the time of vaccination for people over the age of 50 years, but no decision has been taken in this regard, informed the minister. So far, around 80-85 percent of frontline workers have been vaccinated in the country.

Under India’s drive to facilitate the supply of vaccines to other nation, around 20-25 nations will avail the benefit. 

What is the status of vaccine?

Quelling rumours regarding the jabs, Vardhan said the vaccines are safe and effective. The good news is that no new Covid-19 case has been reported in 188 districts of the country in the last seven days and in 21 districts in 21 days. While urging the people to keep following covid-appropriate behaviour, Vardhan said, “It is crucial that people continue to follow COVID-appropriate behaviour which I call social vaccine, along with real vaccines."

So far, two vaccines have been approved including Covaxin developed by Bharat Biotech and Covishield from the Oxford/AstraZeneca stable being manufactured by the Serum Institute of India -- for emergency use in the country. The health ministry also said that a new flagship programme of the PM, Atmanirbhar Swastha Bharat Yojana, has been announced in the Budget.

India's Covid tally has increased to 10,916,589 with 11,649 new infections and 90 fatalities between Sunday and Monday morning, as per the health ministry’s update. The death toll increased to 155,732 and there are 139,637 active cases of coronavirus infections in the country, according to the data updated at 8am on Monday. The number of people who have recovered from the viral disease surged to 10,621,220, which has pushed the recovery rate to 97.29%.