Storage of Pfizer's COVID vaccine challenge for most nations; India examining possibilities: Govt

cold-chain requirement for anti-coronavirus vaccine candidate developed by Pfizer at a temperature of minus 70 degrees Celsius poses a big challenge, but government is examining possibilities if at all vaccine has to be obtained by India, it said on Tuesday.

government furr said a national scheme on COVID-19 vaccine distribution is in its final sts of preparation.

At a press briefing, NITI Aayog member (Health) Dr V K Paul, who also hes National Task Force on COVID-19, said sufficient doses of vaccine, as required for Indian population, will t be available, but government is looking at possibilities and will work out a strategy for its procurement and distribution in case it gets regulatory approvals.Paul, however, reminded that arrival of Pfizer vaccine in country might take some months.

" arrangement of cold-chains for storing vaccine developed by Pfizer at a low temperature of minus 70 degrees Celsius is a big challenge and it will t be easy for any nation. But n, if at all it has to be obtained, we are examining what we need to do...and will work out a strategy," he said.

As for both vaccine candidates of Moderna and Pfizer, Paul said that we are watching developments. y have anunced preliminary results and have t got regulatory approvals.

official expressed hope on success of five vaccines that are under different phases of trial in country. doses of se vaccines will be available in sufficient numbers.

Giving an update, he said phase-3 trial of Oxford vaccine of Serum Institute is almost near completion, while phase-3 clinical trial of indigeusly-developed vaccine candidate of Bharat Biotech and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has alrey started.

Ar indigeusly-developed vaccine candidate of Zydus Cila has completed phase-2 clinical trial, Paul said.

Dr Reddy's Laboratories will soon start combined phase 2 and 3 clinical trials of Russian COVID-19 vaccine, Sputnik V, in India.

Also, Biological E Limited has started early phase 1 and 2 human trials of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate.

Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE last week said ir vaccine candidate was found to be more than 90 per cent effective in preventing COVID-19. 

Moderna on Monday said independent National Institutes of Health-appointed Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) for Phase 3 study of mRNA-1273, its vaccine candidate against COVID-19, found it to have an efficacy of 94.5 per cent.

Asked if government is working on a draft scheme on COVID-19 vaccine distribution, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said one of mandates of National Expert Group on Vaccine ministration for COVID-19 is to have a time-bound scheme to ensure fulfilment of commitment that prime minister me to nation from ramparts of Red Fort on August 15, where he said citizens will be iculated as soon as vaccine becomes available.

A document in this regard is in its final sts of preparation. We have shared it with state governments and have taken ir inputs. We are also in process of finalising database of priority population groups, who will be ministered vaccine if and when it becomes available, and re also, we are in collaboration with states and or central ministries," he said. 

(IM CREDITS:PTI)