Two vaccines could be available for emergency use in India by Jan, says AIIMS chief

New Delhi, 5/12: Two coronavirus vaccine candidates that are in phase 3 trials will be available for emergency use by January 2021 said Randeep Guleria, Director, All India Institute Of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). Recently United Kingdom(UK) approved Pfizer Inc’s coronavirus vaccine, jumping ahead of rest of the world in the race to produce vaccine first.

After the UK’s approval for the use of Pfizer’s vaccine for emergency use, health experts in India said India’s own vaccines could be available “almost immediately” for the public right after the phase 3 trials are over and the drug regulator is convinced of its efficacy against the Covid-19.

If India gets emergency use approval, it would mean that the companies would get permission for a limited time to administer the coronavirus vaccine to overcome the crisis. To get formal approval, the company will have to submit all data on the drug’s efficacy, side-effects, and adverse events to the regulator for the latter to decide if the drug should be approved.