ICMR Director gives update on India's COVID vaccine, says emergency authorisation possible

Days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi revealed that three COVID vaccine are in testing phases in India, ICMR Director told a parliamentary panel that phase-two clinical trial of two indigenously developed vaccine candidates have almost been completed and emergency authorisation of a vaccine could be considered if the centre decides so.

On Wednesday, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Director General Balram Bhargava informed members of the parliamentary standing committee on home affairs that the vaccine candidates developed by Bharat Biotech, Cadila and the Serum Institute of India are at different stages of trial. He elaborated that COVID-19 vaccine candidates coordinated by Bharat Biotech and Cadila are nearing completion of phase-two trials.

As reported by news agency PTI, when asked how long people will have to live with the pandemic, Bhargava replied that normally the final trial takes about six to nine months but if the governments decides, an emergency authorisation could be considered.

Responding to queries by the panel about the saliva test cleared by FDA in the US for rapid detection of SARS-CoV-2, Bhargava said informed that taking samples from gargled water is already under consideration and further details will be available soon.

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'Hopeful for vaccine by the end of this year': AIIMS Director

Joining Republic TV LIVE on the special broadcast of Independence Day, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi Director Dr Randeep Guleria said that he is confident that India will get a vaccine by the beginning of next year. Dr Randeep Guleria highlighted how India has changed a pandemic into an opportunity but cautioned against taking the situation for granted. He said that even though the number of recoveries has reached 18 lakhs, there is a possibility of second wave if precautions are not taken. He also elaborated on the COVID-19 vaccines that are in the testing phases.

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India's COVID tally

With 64,531 people testing positive in a day, India's COVID-19 tally climbed to 27,67,273 on Wednesday, while the recoveries crossed the 20-lakh mark pushing the recovery rate to 73.64 per cent, according to the Union Health Ministry data. The death toll climbed to 52,889 with 1,092 people succumbing to the disease in a span of 24 hours, the data updated at 8 am showed. Case fatality rate has declined to 1.91 per cent. There are 6,76,514 active cases of coronavirus infection in the country which is 24.45 per cent of the total caseload, while the number of recoveries has surged to 20,37,870.

(with PTI inputs)

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