PM likely to visit Serum Institute to take stock of Corona vaccine development

It is estimated that for Corona vaccine - Covishield to reach everyone in the country it would take two to three years. Developed by the Indian arm of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine - Covishield - is in the final test stages by the Serum Institute of India.

Pune:Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit the Serum Institute of India (SII), Pune on November 28 to take stock of the development of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Developed by the Indian arm of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine - Covishield - is in the final test stages by SII.

Foreign ambassadors will also be accompanying Modi on his trip, the preparations of which have already commenced. A meeting was also held at the Divisional Commissioner's office yesterday in this regard.

Saurabh Rao, Pune's Divisional Commissioner said, "We are yet to receive an official confirmation on the PM's visit to Pune. But as per the preliminary information, the PM is expected to visit Serum Institute and Gennova Biotechnology. Before this, 100 ambassadors and Council General's across the world were expected to visit Pune on November 27 to check the production capacity of the vaccine. However, that has been postponed and will happen only on December 4 or 5."

Vaccine to be available from 2021

The Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine, which will be available at the beginning of the new year will be available to health workers and senior citizens for the first time in February 2021.

The vaccine will then be available to the general public in April. Two doses of Corona vaccine will cost a maximum of Rs 1,000 and by 2024, the Corona vaccine will be available to everyone in the country, Adar Poonawala said recently.

It is estimated that for Corona vaccine to reach everyone in the country it would take two to three years. Not only supply but also budget, logistics, infrastructure will take time for vaccines to reach everyone. The Indian government will get the vaccine for 3 to 4 dollars because of its bulk demand.

"Our vaccine will cost less than other Corona vaccines," Poonawala said.

Third phase of vaccine tested by ICMR with Serum

The Serum Institute of India (SII) and ICMR have completed the third phase of vaccine testing process at 15 different centers across the country for which around 1,600 volunteers had registered.

The cost of clinical trials of the corona vaccine in the country is being borne by the ICMR, a government agency. Other costs of the Covshield vaccine are being borne by the Serum Institute.