India Receives A Fourth Vaccine -Moderna

• ByStartupStory     |    June 30, 2021

The Drugs Controller General of India on Tuesday approved a fourth Covid-19 vaccine, and the country’s first mRNA vaccine – Moderna mRNA-1273 – thereby clearing the path for importing foreign regulator-approved Covid vaccines to India without bridging clinical studies. It will be available here through its Indian partner, Mumbai-based pharma major Cipla. This after the US vaccine makers Pfizer and Moderna had sought indemnity against serious adverse events following vaccination, an immunity they enjoy in other countries where they supply. The matter is under consideration, said VK Paul, member, health NITI Aayog. “This potentially opens up a clear likelihood of this vaccine being imported into India in the near future. There must be other formalities that have to be followed but a very important licence has been given,” he added. “This permission is for restricted use in emergency situations in public interest,” an official told PTI. The firm has to submit a seven-day safety assessment of the vaccine in the first 100 beneficiaries before rolling out of the vaccine for further immunisation programme, per the approval order.

Being a mRNA vaccine, Moderna’s jab has fragments of the genetic material known as messenger RNA. It works by giving our cells temporary instructions to make the coronavirus spike protein, thereby triggering an immune response inside our bodies. The protein is found on the surface of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The two-dose vaccine given 28 days apart, has shown an efficacy of 94.1% in protecting against Covid-19, starting 14 days after the first dose. It has the highest effectiveness, therefore, compared with Sputnik (91%), Covaxin (77.8%) and Covishield (74%) — the three other vaccines available in India for emergency use authorisation.. There are four functioning vaccines in India right now : Covaxin, Covishield, SputnikV and Moderna is now added to the list. The government hopes to close the deal on Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson vaccine soon, and with as many as 5 – 6 different types of vaccine, will make it easier for OIndia’s humongous popul;ation to get vaccinated fast. 

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