On Monday, the Indian government reviewed the progress of COVID-19 vaccines that are undergoing clinical trials in the country. The domestic pharma giants have presented to the central government the current status of several candidate vaccines for COVID-19. The National Expert Group on Covid-19 Vaccine Administration on Monday met leading domestic vaccine manufacturers: Serum Institute of India, Pune; Bharat Biotech, Hyderabad; Zaidus Cadila, Ahmedabad; Biopharmaceutical Genova, Pune; And Bio-AH, Hyderabad.

The Health Ministry said the meeting was mutually beneficial and productive.

"The Group of National Experts has provided information on the current phase of several candidate vaccines being developed by local manufacturers, in addition to their expectations from the Union Government."

Three COVID vaccine candidates in India are in different phases of the clinical study.

The first is an inactivated virus vaccine which is the Bharat Biotech vaccine which is being developed in cooperation with the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR).

Similarly, the second vaccine is the DNA vaccine of pharma giant Zydus Cadila.

And the third is an Oxford University combination vaccine manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII) that has obtained approval from the DCGI to conduct a phase 2, 3 clinical study in the nation.

The central government has constituted a committee headed by Dr. VK Paul, a member of Niti Aayog (Health), on the administration of the COVID vaccine.

The terms of reference of this expert committee are to simplify the selection of the appropriate vaccine, how the vaccine will be purchased, how the vaccine will be delivered, and prioritize the groups to which the vaccine should be administered.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Independence Day speech on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that India has prepared a roadmap to ensure that the COVID-19 vaccine reaches everyone in the shortest time possible.

He said that three candidate vaccines are in different stages of trials in the country.

Whenever COVID-19 is talked about, the prime minister said the question that comes to everyone's mind is: when will the vaccine be ready.

"I want to tell people, the talent of our scientists is like the talent of the 'rishi munis' and they work hard in the laboratories. There are three vaccines in different stages of testing. When scientists give us the green signal, it will be like this." Prime Minister Modi said in a speech. Make all the preparations for it”. PM Modi said in an address. (With Agency Inputs)

Also Read: NPS Vs EPF: Which is more beneficial for your retirement?