‘New Year With Something in Hand’: DCGI Hints at Vaccine Approval

COVID-19 vaccine. Representational image.

(Photo: IANS)

India’s drug control authority seemed to hint that a COVID vaccine may be approved soon. Drugs Controller General Dr VG Somani said, "Probably we will have a happy New Year with something in hand. That is what I can hint at," during a webinar on Thursday, 31 December, as quoted by NDTV.

This comes ahead of the approaching meeting of the expert panel on authorisation of COVID-19 vaccines for emergency use which is scheduled for tomorrow, 1 January.

"Preparations are in last stages for the vaccination programme against COVID-19. People will get vaccine manufactured in India,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said earlier, reported NDTV.

The government-appointed expert panel is currently reviewing emergency use vaccine applications by the Serum Institute of India, Bharat Biotech and Pfizer. Pfizer has asked for more time to present its data.

Serum Institute is making Oxford University’s ‘Covishield’ in collaboration with pharma major AstraZeneca. Bharat Biotech has partnered with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for its candidate 'Covaxin'.

Speaking on vaccine approval, Dr Randeep Guleria, the Director of All India Institute Of Medical Sciences, New Delhi also said Wednesday that India will get its vaccine “in the very near future,” ANI reported.

(inputs from NDTV)