India targets to launch Covid-19 vaccine by August 15

India's first indigenous Covid-19 vaccine (BBV152 COVID vaccine) can be released before August 15. The Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) has written to select medical institutions and hospitals to speed up approvals for clinical trials of vaccines. According to the PTI news agency, the vaccine is expected to be released for public health until August 15, after all, clinical trials have been completed.

Here is all you need to know about India's first indigenous vaccine for the coronavirus disease:

1) ICMR has partnered with Bharat Biotech International Limited (BBIL) to conduct clinical trials on the indigenous " Covaxin" for coronavirus.

2) The 12 institutes selected for the clinical trial are in Visakhapatnam, Rohtak, New Delhi, Patna, Belgaum (Karnataka), Nagpur, Gorakhpur, Kattankulathur (Tamil Nadu), Hyderabad, Arya Nagar, Kanpur (Uttar Pradesh), Goa and the Bhubaneswar Medical Science Institute and SUM Hospital.

3) ICMR Director-General Dr. Balram Bhargavasaid in his letter to the principal investigators at the 12 sites that it is one of the "highest priority projects being monitored at the highest level in government".

"The Covid-19 vaccine is expected to be used for public health latest by August 15, after all clinical trials have been completed," Bhargava said in the letter. A copy of the letter has been sent to Bharat Biotech.

4) The indigenous, inactivated vaccine was developed and manufactured at the Bharat Biotechnology Facility located in the Genome Valley in Hyderabad.

5) Bharat Biotech India Ltd’s COVID-19 vaccine"Covaxin"  became the first developed candidate in India to obtain approval from the Comptroller General of Drugs in India to participate in human trials.

So far, India has two potential COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers. Another potential coronavirus vaccine was developed by Zydus Cadila Healthcare in Ahmedabad.

Meanwhile, India has reported its highest one-day spike of 20,903 cases of COVID 19 cases, according to data released by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. With this, India's coronavirus tally has risen to 6,25,544.

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