With preparations underway for a possible vaccine-rollout by January, the Indian drug regulator is looking at the UK , which sources believe may give its nod to the Oxford COVID-19 vaccine next week, before deciding on giving emergency use authorisation to the Serum Institute that is manufacturing the shots in New Delhi.
Meanwhile, Britain's Department of Health said that medicines regulator MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency) must be given time to carry out its review of the data of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.
India's COVID-19 tally of cases climbed to 1,01,87,850 with 18,732 new cases in a day, while 97,61,538 people have recuperated so far pushing the national recovery rate to 95.82%, according to Union Health Ministry data today.
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European Union nations kick off mass COVID-19 vaccinations
European Union nations on Sunday officially kicked off a coordinated effort to give COVID-19 vaccinations to adults among their 450 million citizens, marking a moment of hope in the continent's battle against the worst public health crisis in a century.
Shots were administered Sunday morning to the most vulnerable people. health care workers who take care of them, and some politicians to reassure the public that the vaccinations are safe.
The vaccines, developed by Germany's BioNTech and American drugmaker Pfizer, started arriving in EU countries on Friday. The EU has seen some of the world’s earliest and hardest-hit virus hot spots, including Italy and Spain.
Demand for institutional quarantine of U.K. returnees in Goa
In view of a new strain of coronavirus found in the United Kingdom, an MLA in Goa on Sunday demanded institutional quarantine of those who have tested positive for the infection on their return to the state from the U.K.
"COVID amongst U.K. returnees is of serious concern. Institutional Quarantine should be mandatory to ward off the threat of new virus strain," Independent MLA Rohan Khaunte tweeted. He said that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Health Minister Vishwajit Rane should personally monitor the situation.
18,732 new cases take India's virus tally to 1,01,87,850
India's COVID-19 tally of cases climbed to 1,01,87,850 with 18,732 new cases in a day, while 97,61,538 people have recuperated so far pushing the national recovery rate to 95.82%, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Sunday.
The death toll climbed to 1,47,622 with the novel coronavirus claiming 279 lives in a span of 24 hours in the country, the data updated at 8 a.m. showed.
U.K. says regulator must be given time to carry out Oxford COVID-19 vaccine review
Britain's Department of Health said on Sunday that medicines regulator MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency) must be given time to carry out its review of the data of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.
"We must now give the MHRA the time to carry out its important work and we must wait for its advice", a Health Department spokeswoman said, commenting on a Sunday Telegraph report that Britain will roll out the vaccine from Jan. 4.India
Oxford COVID-19 vaccine may become the first to get Indian regulator’s nod for emergency use
With preparations underway for a possible vaccine-rollout by January, the Indian drug regulator is looking at the UK , which sources believe may give its nod to the Oxford COVID-19 vaccine next week, before deciding on giving emergency use authorisation to the Serum Institute that is manufacturing the shots in New Delhi.
Once the U.K. drug regulator gives its approval to the Oxford vaccine, the expert committee on COVID-19 at the CDSCO will hold its meeting and thoroughly review the safety and immunogenicity data from the clinical evaluations conducted abroad and in India before granting any emergency authorisation for the vaccine in New Delhi, official sources said.
(With inputs from agencies)
