Health Minister Harsh Vardhan reveals 'Wait for COVID-19 vaccine in India to end soon'

After a brief slowdown, the number of coronavirus cases is once again skyrocketing with the national capital Delhi witnessing a precarious scenario. Hazardous air pollution together with lowering of guard by people during the festive season resulted in COVID-19 cases spiral in the city. 

Amid the concerns, all eyes are now on the COVID-19 vaccine. When will the vaccine be available in India? Citizens are awaiting a positive and early response to the question. Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, in an exclusive interview with India TV, has made a big announcement. 

Dr Harsh Vardhan said that by June 2021, the government would vaccinate approximately 25-30 crore people. "Details regarding cold chain requirements and logistics have already been put in place. We are expecting to get the good news concerning the vaccine by February-March," the minister



said. 

He said that over 200 vaccine candidates are under development across the world of which 30 are Indian. " Out of these, 5 are in advance stage of which 2 are in the third stage of clinical trial. I hope that a vaccine will be available by early 2021," Harsh Vardhan said.

The phase-3 trial of the Oxford vaccine of the Serum Institute is almost near completion, while the phase-3 clinical trial of the indigenously-developed vaccine candidate of the Bharat Biotech and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has already started.

Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE have said their vaccine candidate was found to be more than 95 per cent effective in preventing COVID-19.

Dr Reddy's Laboratories will also soon start the combined phase 2 and 3 clinical trials of the Russian COVID-19 vaccine, Sputnik V, in India.