COVID-19 Vaccine 'Covishield' Gets Approval, 10 Things To Know

Covishield vaccine for battling COVID-19 is here. Jointly produced by Serum Institute of India in a tie up with AstraZeneca, this venture is supposed to produce nearly a billion vaccines. The vaccine is meant to be produced in bulk, to meet India's needs and is better suited to transport and storage facilities in our country. Here's all you need to know about it.

• Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII) has tied up with AstraZeneca to manufacture vaccine named Covishield in India.
• 'Covishield', a COVID-19 vaccine developed by Oxford University and Swedish drugmaker AstraZeneca.
• The SII is the largest vaccine manufacturer in the world.
• Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation gave this approval. However Covishield has its approval pending from Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI).

• This paves the way for first authorised COVID-19 shot in India.

• This approval comes days after the United Kingdom gave the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine the green signal, India's expert panel too recommended the vaccine for emergency use, according to CNBCTV18.
• SII aims to produce over 1 billion such vaccines.
• "Covishield is safe and can be used effectively for prevention of COVID-19 in the targeted population. Thus, the benefit to risk ratio strongly supports the widespread use of Covishield," noted the application signed by Prakash Kumar Singh, Additional Director, Government and Regulatory Affairs at Serum Institute of India (SII) in a release.
• Six vaccines are at various stages of clinical trials, of which four are being indigenously developed.
• As compared to Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine is more suited to India’s requirements as per reports due to storage temperature requirements of the vaccine.

• The SII, Bharat Biotech and Pfizer vaccines have applied to the DCGI seeking emergency use authorisation for their COVID-19 vaccine candidates.

Credit: Business Insider