Govt Likely To Get Oxford COVID Vaccine In January-February

Picture courtesy India TV

New Delhi: India is expected to receive the first lot of anti-COVID shots in late January-early February. This lot will allow some frontline workers like doctors, nurses and municipal staff to get the dose of vaccine.

India is planning to give Serum Institute of India (SII) approval for emergency use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine candidate soon after it gets similar go-ahead in the United Kingdom, according to a report in The Times of India.

SII is expected to apply for necessary approval for emergency use in December. For the procurement of doses, the government will finalise a contract.

According to the report, the government has also negotiated a better price for bulk purchases. The likely MRP will be Rs 500-600 for the two-shot vaccine, an official source was quoted in the report.

“If everything goes as per plan and the company (SII) manages to secure emergency authorisation in December, we are expecting the first lot of vaccines by January-February and the first set of beneficiaries has been identified,” the official was quoted as saying by The Times of India.