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 the Serum Institute of India -  which has partnered with global pharma giant AstraZeneca and the Oxford University for manufacturing of the latter's COVID-19 vaccine - in Pune on Saturday, as per PTI.

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

READ | India Could Get Oxford Covid Vaccine By Feb 2021; Rs 1000 For 2 Doses: Serum's Poonawalla

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

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

READ | Pfizer, Moderna, Oxford, Sputnik V: As Covid Vaccines Publish Results, Here's What We Know

'Rs 1000 for two doses' 

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

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

READ | AstraZeneca And Oxford University's COVID-19 Vaccine Shows Better Result In Elderly: Study

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

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

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

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

The second was that a full dose and then another full dose is 62% effective -

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

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

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

READ | AstraZeneca Failed To Deliver COVID-19 Vaccine Doses To UK On Promised Date: British Govt