New Delhi: The American pharma company Johnson & Johnson has moved an application to the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) seeking permission to conduct a study of COVID-19 single shot vaccine in India in adolescents aged 12 – 17 years.
Earlier this month, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya informed that the Johnson and Johnson’s single-dose Covid-19 vaccine was given approval for Emergency Use in India.
"India expands its vaccine basket! Johnson and Johnson’s single-dose COVID-19 vaccine is given approval for Emergency Use in India. Now India has 5 EUA vaccines. This will further boost our nation's collective fight against," Mansukh Mandaviya said.
The vaccine maker has claimed that its single-shot Covid-19 vaccine has shown promising signs of protection against the Delta variant rapidly spreading across the US and other countries.
The Drug Controller General of India earlier this year in May permitted Bharat Biotech to conduct clinical trials on healthy volunteers between 2 to 18 years of age for its vaccine, Covaxin. Besides Bharat Biotech, Zydus Cadila, which is developing DNA vaccines, is also conducting its clinical trial for between the age group of 12 to 18 years.
India vaccine coverage
Meanwhile, India’s Covid-19 vaccination coverage has achieved a significant milestone of over 50 crores (57,16,71,264) with more than 48 lakh (48,84,440) Vaccine Doses administered in last 24 hours.
26,66,831 vaccine doses were administered as first dose and 6,01,437 vaccine doses given as second dose in the age group 18-44 years today. Cumulatively, 21,13,11,218 persons in the age group 18-44 years across 37 States/UTs have received their first dose and total 1,79,43,325 have received their second dose since the start of Phase-3 of the vaccination drive.