Bharat Biotech, a private company developing COVAXIN with the government-run Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), is hoping to launch the COVID vaccine in the second half of next year. COVAXIN, India’s indigenous COVID-19 vaccine is developed and manufactured in Bharat Biotech’s BSL-3 (Bio-safety Level 3) high containment facility.
“The vaccine has shown good efficacy,” said Rajni Kant, senior ICMR scientist, member of COVID-19 task-force on Thursday.
The team expects to deliver COVAXIN by the beginning of next year’s February or March. India’s cases of COVID-19 infections have risen to 8.36 million after 50,201 cases were reported on Thursday, second only to the United States.
Kant, as the head of ICMR’s research management, policy, planning and coordination cell, said it was the decision of health ministry to decide if COVAXIN shots should be given to people even before the third-stage trials are over.