Centre says expert group on COVID-19 vaccine formed, to meet tomorrow
The Centre has constituted National Expert Group on Vaccine administration which will meet tomorrow. Their terms of reference constitute all matters related to logistics of vaccines, ways to address issues of equity etc," said the Health Ministry on Tuesday, when asked whether the government is planning to tie-up with Russia over a COVID-19 vaccine.
"This expert group will continue its engagement with all state governments and vaccine manufacturers in India," said Rajesh Bhushan, Secretary, Health Ministry.
The committee on vaccine administration will engage with all the stakeholders including state governments and vaccine manufacturers, the ministry said in a tweet.
"The Expert Committee on Vaccine Administration under the chairmanship of Dr VK Paul, NITI Aayog will meet on 12th August to consider logistics & ethical aspects of procurement & administration of COVID-19 vaccine," the ministry tweeted earlier in the day.
The committee would chalk out strategies on the aspects of prioritisation of the vaccine administration once it is developed, rollout and cold chain logistics and training of the people who would be administering it.
The phase-1 human clinical trials of the two COVID-19 vaccine candidates, developed indigenously by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research and Zydus Cadila Ltd, have been completed and the trials have moved to phase 2, ICMR Director General Balram Bhargava said last Tuesday.
The Serum Institute of India, Pune has also been permitted for conducting Phase 2 and 3 human clinical trials of the Oxford University-developed COVID-19 vaccine candidate in the country.
