OFFICIALS!!! India-Made #COVID-19 Vaccine #COVAXIN To Be Launched February

OFFICIALS!!! India-Made #COVID-19 Vaccine #COVAXIN To Be Launched February—-A private company called Bharat Biotech in collaboration with with the government-run Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), has declared their COVID-19 vaccine safe for use.

They had earlier hoped to launch it in the second quarter of 2021, but as the last stage trials began this month, a senior government scientist has announced that it could be launched as early as February.

“The vaccine has shown good efficacy,” senior ICMR scientist Rajni Kant, who is also a member of its COVID-19 task-force, said at the research body’s New Delhi headquarters on Thursday.

“It is expected that by the beginning of next year, February or March, something would be available.”

A launch in February would make COVAXIN the first India-made vaccine to be rolled out.

India’s cases of coronavirus infections rose by 50,201 cases on Thursday to 8.36 million, second only to the U.S. Deaths rose by 704, with the total now at 124,315.

Kant, who is the head of ICMR’s research management, policy, planning, and coordination cell, said it was up to the health ministry to decide if COVAXIN shots can be given to people even before the third-stage trials are over.

“It has shown safety and efficacy in phase 1 and 2 trials and in the animal studies – so it is safe but you can’t be 100 percent sure unless the phase 3 trials are over,” Kant said.

“There may be some risk, if you are ready to take the risk, you can take the vaccine. If necessary, the government can think of giving the vaccine in an emergency situation.”