New Delhi/London: The Oxford University vaccine against COVID-19 being produced by AstraZeneca is likely to get regulatory approval from the UK's independent regulator by the end of this year for a rollout to begin in early 2021, according to a UK media report.
The Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency (MHRA), which had been formally tasked by the UK government last month with the process of clearance after the jab emerged safe and effective against the novel Coronavirus in human trials, is expected to authorise the vaccine by December 28 or 29 after the final data is provided on Monday, The Daily Telegraph quoted senior government sources as indicating.
Authorisation by the MHRA will also give confidence to countries across the world. India has already manufactured more than 50 million of the AstraZeneca vaccines, the newspaper notes. In India, the vaccine is being produced as part of a tie-up with the Serum Institute of India.
Meanwhile, the Health ministry stated that those who have recovered from Covid are advised to get a vaccine shot to develop a strong immunity. Those who have tested positive should defer vaccination for 14 days after symptoms are resolved, it said while all beneficiaries have to register officially for vaccination and it will not be administered to those who don't produce a photo ID at the site.
With one of the world's largest immunisation drives taking place early next year, these are the Union Health ministry's answers to some important questions regarding the vaccine administration.
The US, on the other hand, added a second COVID-19 vaccine to its arsenal on Friday, boosting efforts to beat back an outbreak so dire that the nation is regularly recording more than 3,000 deaths a day.
The much-needed doses are set to arrive on Monday after the Food and Drug Administration authorised an emergency rollout of the vaccine developed by Moderna Inc. and the National Institutes of Health. The move marks the world's first authorisation for Moderna's shots.
The vaccine is very similar to one from Pfizer Inc. and Germany's BioNTech that's now being dispensed to millions of healthcare workers and nursing home residents as the biggest vaccination drive in US history starts to ramp up.
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has launched an attack on Coronavirus vaccines, even suggesting that the one developed by Pfizer-BioNTech could turn people into crocodiles or bearded ladies.
"In the Pfizer contract it's very clear: 'we're not responsible for any side effects.' If you turn into a crocodile, it's your problem," Bolsonaro said on Thursday. With agency inputs