Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin, Oxford-AstraZeneca's Covishield get emergency use approval in India

India's Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has accepted the recommendations of an expert panel and accordingly granted emergency use authorisation to the Bharat Biotech's COVID-19 vaccine- Covaxin and Oxford-AstraZeneca's Covishield 

The Subject Expert Committee (SEC) of CDSCO had recommended accelerating the approval process request of Serum Institute of India and the Bharat Biotech COVID-19 vaccine. Both the vaccines will have to be administered in two doses and they will have to be stored at 2-8° C.

CDSCO recommends for granting permission for restricted use in emergency situation in public interest as abundant precaution,in clinical trial mode,specially in context of mutant strain infection,to Bharat Biotech&for conduct of PhaseIII Clinical Trial Protocol to Cadila:GoI(2/2) https://t.co/kt7nUwWbSb

— ANI (@ANI) January 2, 2021

The Subject Expert Committee had also recommended accelerating the approval process of the Phase-III Trials of Cadila Healthcare Ltd. The expert panel had met on January 1st and 2nd and made the following recommendations for consideration and final decision of the Drugs Controller General of India:

1) Grant of permission for restricted emergency use of the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine- Covishield to Serum Institute of India, Pune. 

2) Grant of permission for restricted use in emergency situation in public interest to Bharat Biotech International, Hyderabad in clinical trial mode in the wake of infection by mutant strains.

3) Grant of permission to conduct of Phase-III Clinical Trials to Cadila Healthcare Ltd, Ahmedabad.

Free Vaccines to be provided under Phase 1 of COVID vaccination

Under the first phase of COVID-19 vaccination, free vaccines will be provided to the most prioritized beneficiaries across India. According to Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan, 3 crore frontline workers will get free vaccine in the first phase, which includes 1 crore healthcare and 2 crore frontline workers. 

In 1st phase of #COVID19Vaccination free #vaccine shall be provided across the nation to most prioritised beneficiaries that incl 1 crore healthcare & 2 crore frontline workers
Details of how further 27 cr priority beneficiaries are to be vaccinated until July are being finalised pic.twitter.com/K7NrzGrgk3

— Dr Harsh Vardhan (@drharshvardhan) January 2, 2021

COVID-19 vaccine dry run conducted across country