We’ve seen the use of Pfizer Covid 19 vaccine approval for its citizens, people around the world have been wanting to know when will their nation be getting the vaccine to take down the coronavirus and bring their lives back to normal.
And now, our India could soon be next on the list, Serum Institute of India has applied for emergency use of COVISHIELD.
1. Second to apply.
Serum Institute of India is the world's largest vaccine producer by volume, has become the second company to apply for the emergency authorization after Pfizer India.
2. Covishield vaccine can be stored in 2 Celsius to 8 Celsius unlike Pfizer's vaccine that needs to be stored and transported at -70 degrees.
3. The SII has shared interim data with the DCGI of four clinical trials: One in India, two trials in UK and one in Brazil.
4. The vaccine showed 90 per cent efficacy in one dosing regimen when the vaccine was given as a half dose, followed by a full dose at least a month later, while another dosing regimen showed 62 per cent efficacy when given as two full doses at least one month apart.
5. SII had indicated that the Central government may purchase 300-400 million doses by July 2021 and that it was planning to deliver 100 million doses of the vaccine a month by March.
6. Covishield is logistically more feasible for use and distribution in India as it stores well at two to eight degrees Celsius. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said SII had already manufactured 40 million doses of the vaccine.
7. Serum Institute’s Covishied vaccine is the same vaccine that’s being developed by Oxford and Astrazeneca which in its trials reported that it is 70 percent effective against the coronavirus.
8. AstraZeneca revealed that due to some error in its testing, the results turned out lower than expected and that it will conduct another small trial to get an accurate effectiveness rating.
9. Last month, after a trial volunteer in Chennai claimed that the vaccine caused neurological damage post getting shot. However, later Drug Controller General of India ruled out these claims stating that the illness was linked to other issues and wasn’t due to the vaccine.
10. SII has promised that the first priority will be given to Indian citizens, SII will also be responsible for shipping the vaccine to other nations like Bangladesh and others in Africa.
