Putting an end to speculation, India on Tuesday announced it would be ready to administer coronavirus vaccine by January 13. At a press briefing, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said the vaccine will be rolled out within ten days of receiving the emergency use authorization. The announcement comes as a major relief for India which has the second-highest number of infections in the world, after the US.
"We are prepared to roll out Covid-19 vaccines within 10 days of granting emergency use authorization date, based on dry run feedback," Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said at the presser.
Two vaccines received restricted emergency use approval on January 3. On Sunday, the Drug Controller General of India had announced approvals to Oxford-AstraZeneca's Covishield manufactured by Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech's Covaxin - against coronavirus infection - for restricted emergency use.
NITI Aayog member (Health) Dr V K Paul said an optimistic scenario is emerging with the pandemic situation in India consistently improving in terms of active cases and new deaths declining.
"Let's hope this trend will continue. In terms of the new UK mutant issue, this variant has entered this country and 71 people have been isolated. This shows our capacity to mount that kind of a scientific investigation.
"Also, we have not seen emergence of any untoward cluster in the country as of now which is reassuring," he said. On the two vaccines that have been granted approval for restricted emergency use by the DCGI, Paul reiterated that all scientific and statutory requirements have been met and regulatory norms followed while granting permission and authorisation.
"No vaccine today in any country has got regular authorisation. The world is exercising this option using scientific criteria and thinking to take decision in larger interest of public health and humanity," he said.
The first phase of inoculation will have onboard as many as one crore healthcare workers, two crore frontline and essential workers and 27 crore elderly, most above the age of 50 years with co-morbidities.
On Saturday, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan had announced that one crore healthcare workers, along with two crore frontline will get the vaccine for free.
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