India approves 2 COVID-19 vaccines

Jan. 3: The Drug Controller General of India (DCGI), the country’s national drug regulator, announced on Sunday (January 3) that the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has approved the Covid-19 vaccines of both Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech for restricted use in the country. Oxford-AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine Covishield, manufactured by Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech’s COVID vaccine Covaxin have been approved for emergency use authorisation.

Taking to his twitter handle on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote, “It would make every Indian proud that the two vaccines that have been given emergency use approval are made in India! This shows the eagerness of our scientific community to fulfil the dream of an Aatmanirbhar Bharat, at the root of which is care and compassion.”

It would make every Indian proud that the two vaccines that have been given emergency use approval are made in India! This shows the eagerness of our scientific community to fulfil the dream of an Aatmanirbhar Bharat, at the root of which is care and compassion.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 3, 2021

On 2 January, Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan tweeted, “In 1st phase of #COVID19Vaccination, free #vaccine shall be provided across the nation to most prioritised beneficiaries that include 1 crore healthcare & 2 crore frontline workers. Details of how further 27 crore priority beneficiaries are to be vaccinated until July are being finalised.”