PM Modi to visit Serum institute in Pune on November 28 to review status of Covid vaccine

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Serum Institute of India -  which has partnered with global pharma giant AstraZeneca and Oxford University for manufacturing of latter's COVID-19 vaccine - in Pune on Saturday, as per PTI.

PM Modi's visit will mostly focus on reviewing status of vaccine candidate against Coronavirus and to kw about its launch, production and distribution mechanisms. Officials at Serum Institute confirmed PM Modi's visit on Saturday to PTI but revealed that y h t received his minute-to-minute schedule. 

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"We have received a confirmation about PM Modi's visit to Serum Institute of India on Saturday, but his minute-to-minute program is yet to be received," Pune Divisional Commissioner Saurabh Rao told PTI. 

Central Drug Standard Control Organisation has granted permission for manufacture of COVID-19 vaccine for pre-clinical test, examination and analysis to seven firms, two of which are Serum Institute of India (SII) and Genva Biopharmaceuticals.

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'Rs 1000 for two doses' 

CEO of Serum Institute of India (SII) ar Poonawalla on Thursday said Oxford COVID-19 vaccine should be available for healthcare workers and elderly people by around February next year and by April for general citizens. He said it will be priced at a maximum of Rs 1,000 for two necessary doses for public, depending on final trial results and regulatory approvals. 

Poonawalla's remarks come on back of a series of key developments in race for a vaccine, with two US vaccines - by Pfizer and Moderna - showing 95% & 94.5% success rate respectively from ir st-3 trials, and AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine reporting 99% 'strong immune response' in elderly people, as per a study published in Lancet, and reporting a dos case wherein a 90% efficacy was witnessed.

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Oxford vaccine (University of Oxford, Astrazeneca, Serum Institute):

Interim phase 3 data analysing 131 COVID cases presented two key findings:

first was that a half dose and n a full dose is 90% effective -

i.e. Half Dose 1 + 21 days + Dose 2 + unspecified number of days -> 90% efficacy

second was that a full dose and n ar full dose is 62% effective -

i.e. Dose 1 + 21 days + Dose 2 + unspecified number of days -> 62% efficacy

Combining data from two dosing regimens, efficacy was found to be 70.4%.

Oxford says, "Crucially, vaccine can be easily ministered in existing healthcare systems, stored at ‘fridge temperature’ (2-8 °C) and distributed using existing logistics."

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