India is to fast-track emergency approvals for Covid-19 vaccines
that have been authorized by Western countries and Japan, paving the way for
possible imports of Pfizer; Johnson & Johnson; and Moderna shots. The move;
which will drop the need for companies to do small, local safety trials for
their vaccines before seeking emergency approval; follows the world’s biggest
surge in cases in the country this month. India has the biggest vaccine
manufacturing capacity in the world and had exported tens of millions of doses
before its own demand skyrocketed and led to a shortage in some states. Its
need for imports would be a blow to dozens of poor countries that had relied on
the country to run their inoculation drives. India’s health ministry said
vaccines authorized by the World Health Organization or authorities in the
United States; Europe; the United Kingdom and Japan ‘may be granted emergency
use approval in India; mandating the requirement of post-approval parallel
bridging clinical trial’. ‘If any of these regulators have approved a vaccine;
the vaccine is now ready to be brought into the country for use, manufacture
and fill-and-finish;’ Vinod Kumar Paul; a senior government health official;
told a news conference.’We hope and we invite the vaccine makers such as Pfizer;
Moderna; Johnson & Johnson and others to be ready to come to India as early
as possible.’ Pfizer said it would work towards bringing its vaccine to India
after withdrawing its application in February. India has administered more than
108 million doses; sold more than 54.6 million vaccine doses abroad and gifted
more than 10 million to partner countries. It is currently using the
AstraZeneca shot and a homegrown vaccine for its own immunization drive; and
this week approved Russia’s Sputnik V shot for emergency use. Since April 2;
India has reported the world’s highest daily tallies of infections; exceeding
100,000 for the first time last week. It reported 161,736 cases on Tuesday;
taking the total to 13.7 million. Deaths rose by 879 to 171,058. The jump in
infections; for which Health Minister Harsh Vardhan acknowledged widespread
failure to heed curbs on movement and social interaction; has prompted calls
for the government to cancel huge public events. But hundreds of thousands of
devout Hindus are set to bathe in the Ganges river on Wednesday; the third key
day of the weeks-long Kumbh Mela - or pitcher festival. Nearly a million bathed
in the Ganges on Monday in the belief that its waters would wash away their
sins. More than 100 tested positive for Covid-19 in random testing of around
18,000 attendees; media said. Similar concerns of a spike in cases were sparked
by mass election rallies by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party and opposition
groups during polls in four states and one federally run region. At one rally
in the eastern state of West Bengal; a key political prize; Home Minister Amit
Shah posted Twitter pictures of meetings with crowds of supporters while
unmasked.
by mhmaamay mhmamay
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