Six more vaccines on the way: Harsh Vardhan

BHOPAL: Half a dozen more vaccines are on the horizon and will be introduced in the fight against Covid-19, said Union minister of health and family welfare, Dr Harsh Vardhan, in Bhopal on Saturday.

“Six to eight months ago, lack of testing was an issue. Today, we are carrying out over 1 million Covid-19 tests per day. And more than half a dozen vaccine are coming,” he said after visiting the new campus of National Institute for Research in Environment Health (NIREH), AIIMS-Bhopal, and CSIR-AMPRI.

Phase 3 trials of ‘Sputnik’ conducted

Explaining the expanse of Covid testing in India, he said, “Travel 3km anywhere in 97% of India and you can get a Covid-19 test. Before 2014, for such tests, the sample had to be sent to CDC USA. Our professionals continue to work with dedication to ensure India has the best performance against Covid-19 anywhere in the world.”

Currently, two vaccines are available to the public — Covishield, made by Serum Institute of India, which has partnered with AstraZeneca, and Covaxin, being indigenously developed by Bharat Biotech.

Russia’s Sputnik vaccine seems to be next in line. Phase-3 trials, carried out by its Indian partner Dr Reddy’s Laboratories, are over, and it’s awaiting Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) approval.