What seemed like a never-ending plea has finally been put to rest with the new vaccines. Thanks to the scientists working endlessly, we finally have many vaccinations available in the market against the novel coronavirus. India too is not behind in the race of COVID-19 vaccines. In fact, the country has regulated two vaccines, Covishield and Covaxin.
The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, Covishield, is being manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII), the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer. After Covishield, the pharmaceutical giant is all set to launch Covavax by June this year, suggests media reports. The new vaccine shall be launched under the brand name of Covavax, which SII is manufacturing in partnership with Novovax.
India on Tuesday confirmed that it will be beginning COVID vaccine export starting tomorrow with the first tranche being gifted to 6 neighbouring countries. These countries are Bhutan, Maldives, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar and Seychelles. The vaccines will reach Bhutan at around 11 am local time tomorrow with 150,000 doses and the Maldives at around 2 pm with 100,000 doses.
Updated Jan 17, 2021 · 04:42 pm A healthcare worker receives a coronavirus vaccine shot on the first day of the vaccination drive in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, on January 16. | Amit Dave/ Reuters
A total of 1,91,181 beneficiaries
were
vaccinated on the first day of India’s coronavirus vaccination drive as the country kickstarted its inoculation campaign with two locally manufactured shots, the Union health ministry said on Saturday.
No case of post-vaccination hospitalisation was reported as of Saturday evening, it added.
The first dose was administered to a sanitation worker at the All Indian Institute of Medical Sciences in Delhi, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the campaign with a nationally televised speech.