Key Meet Today For Approval Of Covid-19 Vaccine Ahead Of Pan-India Dry Run

Expert panel to meet today to decide on approval for the Covid-19 vaccine in India. Nationwide dry run for Covid-19 inoculation drive to take place on Saturday.

(Representative Image/ Getty)

New Delhi: India is likely to take a decision on the approval for public use of the Covid-19 vaccine today. According to reports, an expert panel will meet today at 12 PM and take up the application for emergency use of 3 vaccines.  The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation(CDSCO) had met thrice before over the approval of vaccines. Reports say that decision on the vaccine by the Pune- based pharma company Serum Institute of India, Bharat Biotech, and US-based Pfizer will take place. All three companies had earlier submitted applications for emergency use authorisation. The expert committee will then send a report to the Drugs Controller General of India DCGI which and a final decision will be taken. On Saturday, a countrywide dry run of the Covid-19 vaccination process will take place.  A dry run is a mock drill that helps in staging the complete session of the upcoming massive Covid-19 vaccination drive. The Government of India had announced earlier that country will gear up for a mega vaccination drive against Covid-19 on January 2. The activity is proposed to be conducted in all State Capitals in at least 3 session sites; some States will also include districts that are situated in difficult terrain or have poor logistical support. The activity is being taken up with the objective of gearing up for the roll-out of the Covid-19 vaccine across the country. The Central Government has also asked all States and UTs to ensure effective preparedness for the vaccine rollout. On Wednesday, UK has approved the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine for use. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) gave its necessary approval after concluding that the vaccine met its standards of safety, quality, and effectiveness.