NEW DELHI (AP) – India tested its COVID-19 vaccine system on Saturday through a nationwide study as it prepares to launch an inoculation program to stop the coronavirus pandemic.
The process included entering the data into an online platform for monitoring vaccine delivery, along with testing cold storage and transport arrangements for the vaccine, the health ministry said in a statement.
The massive exercise was followed by the Indian drug regulator which recommended the emergency approval of two COVID-19 vaccines – one developed by Oxford University and UK drug manufacturer AstraZeneca, and another by Indian manufacturer Bharat Biotech.
Both vaccines will now have to wait for final approval from the Indian regulator.
Serum Institute of India, the world’s largest vaccine company, has been contracted by AstraZeneca to deliver 1 billion doses to developing countries, including India. On Wednesday, Britain became the first to approve the shooting.
The vaccine developed by Bharat Biotech is based on an inactivated form of coronavirus. It is carried out in collaboration with Indian government agencies. Early clinical trials have shown that the vaccine has no serious side effects and produces antibodies to COVID-19. The company said in November that it was starting late clinical trials.
The government plans to inoculate 300 million people in the first phase of the vaccination program, which will include health care and front-line workers, police and military troops, and those with comorbidities over the age of 50.
The government is expected to initially rely on the vaccine produced by the Serum Institute of India, which does not require ultra-cold storage facilities that others do. Instead, it can be stored in refrigerators. This makes it a feasible candidate, not only for India but also for other developing countries.
Indian Health Minister Harsh Vardhan reviewed preparations for vaccination at a government hospital in New Delhi on Saturday and urged the public not to pay attention to anti-vaccine rumors. “We will not compromise on any protocol before approving a vaccine,” he told reporters.
Pooja Moriya, a health worker from the capital, who will be one of the first to be inoculated, said the hospital staff had several meetings about the vaccine and how it works. “Our seniors told us not to scare us at all,” Moriya said.
India has confirmed more than 10.3 million cases of coronavirus, second in the world behind the US More than 149,000 people have died from the virus in India.