News Desk :
India’s drugs regulator on Sunday approved Serum Institute’s Oxford’s Covid-19 vaccine Covishield and Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin, the country’s first indigenous jab, for restricted emergency use, paving the way for their roll-out soon.
Two approvals were accorded by the Drug Controller General of India (DGCI), its head VG Somani said, ending India’s wait for the Covid-19 vaccine.
He said both the firms Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech submitted data on their trial runs and both have been granted permission for “restricted use” of their vaccines.
The clearance by the DGCI came a day after a government-appointed committee of experts had recommended the two vaccine candidates for their emergency and restricted use.
India’s total number of Covid-19 cases stands at 1,03,23,965 and the death toll at 1,49,435, Health Ministry data showed today.
The number of active cases across the country is pegged at 2,47,220 while 99,27,310 people have recovered so far, said the data.
India is the second country after the United States in terms of number of total coronavirus cases.
