An Indian government-backed COVID-19 vaccine could be launched as early as February — months earlier than expected — as last-stage trials begin this month and studies had, so far, showed it is safe and effective, a senior government scientist has told Reuters.
Bharat Biotech, a private company that is developing COVAXIN with the government-run Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), had earlier hoped to launch it only in the second quarter of next year.
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“The vaccine has shown good efficacy,” senior ICMR scientist Rajni Kant, who is also a member of its COVID-19 task-force, said at the research body’s New Delhi headquarters on Thursday.
“It is expected that by the beginning of next year, February or March, something would be available,” Kant said.
A launch in February would make COVAXIN the first India-made vaccine to be rolled out.
India’s cases of coronavirus infections rose by 50,201 cases on Thursday to 84,11,724. The death toll rose to 1,24,315.