Modi May not announce any vaccine on August 15. Bharat Biotech says Don't want to launch Covid vaccine "under pressure"

India not to announce any Vaccine on August 15, Bharat Biotech refuses to budge 'Under Pressure'

There seems to be no chance of commercial production of COVID-19 vaccine as announced by CSIR that India intends to launch COVID 19 Vaccine when it ordered to start a trial of the vaccine in association with Bharat Biotech.

Bharat Biotech has categorically said that it does not want to launch the vaccine under "PRESSURE". He categorically told media that though the current pandemic is putting pressure on the company to come out with a vaccine quickly, "but we cannot rush as safety and quality are paramount".

He said the company has maintained clinical research of the highest standards and it was monitored by international agencies and communities. "It's a matter of prestige for the country. We won't be shortsighted on research and will produce the best quality vaccine," the company told.

It has already completed phase 1 of the trial successfully. But it did not announce the possible date when the Indian vaccine would be launched. It also said that the GSK or Sanofi (the global majors).

If there is any hope it may be from COVISHIELD developed by Oxford, trial II and II of which has already been announced in India and its commercial production would soon start in Serum Institute of India.

COVISHIELD

In a move that might expedite the commercial production of COVID-19, the Drug Controller of General of India (DGCI) has given approval to Serum Institute of India, Pune to conduct Phase II+III clinical trials of Oxford University-Astra Zeneca COVID-19 vaccine (COVISHIELD) in India.

Once the Phase II & Phase III is over, Serum Institute of India may initiate the commercial production of the vaccine. The Union Ministry of Health, however, did not give details of the testing and when it would be over.

Around 1,600 people are likely to participate in the clinical human trial of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by the University of Oxford. The first trial has already been completed successfully in UK. The second and third trial is probably done in India so as it could produce it here in India by SII (Serum Institute of India). Government has not yet given details of the trial.

Meanwhile, India continues to improve the Case Fatality Rate (CFR), and maintain its global position of having one of the lowest COVID fatalities rates. With a further fall, the current CFR touched 2.11% today. This is the outcome of the well-conceived and effectively implemented strategy of "Test, Track and Treat" which has guided the COVID management in the country.

The management strategy of COVID-19 also focuses on early detection and isolation of cases with seamless patient management and prioritising care of the high-risk population using field health care workers leading to increase in recoveries across the country. India has seen more than 40,574 patients recovered in the last 24 hours. This takes the total recoveries to 11,86,203 and Recovery Rate to 65.77% amongst COVID-19 patients.

With improving daily recovery number, the gap between the recovered cases & the active cases has increased to more than 6 lakh. Presently, it is 6,06,846. This means the actual active caseload is 5,79,357 and all are under medical supervision.

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has issued Revised Guidelines for International Arrivals in supersession of the Guidelines issued on the subject dated 24th May 2020. They will be operational from 00.01 Hrs, 8th August 2020. For further details:

https://www.mohfw.gov.in/pdf/RevisedguidelinesforInternationalArrivals02082020.pdf

 

For all authentic & updated information on COVID-19 related technical issues, guidelines & advisories please regularly visit: https://www.mohfw.gov.in/ and @MoHFW_INDIA.

Technical queries related to COVID-19 may be sent to technicalquery.covid19@gov.in and other queries on ncov2019@gov.in and @CovidIndiaSeva.

In case of any queries on COVID-19, please call at the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare helpline no.: +91-11-23978046 or 1075 (Toll-free). List of helpline numbers of States/UTs on COVID-19 is also available at https://www.mohfw.gov.in/pdf/coronvavirushelplinenumber.pdf .

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