Key meet on approval for Oxford-AstraZeneca, Bharat Biotech COVID vaccines today

New Delhi, Jan 01: An expert panel in the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) will meet on Friday to further deliberate on considering emergency use authorisation applications by Serum Institute of India (SII) for the Oxford-AztraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine and Bharat Biotech's 'Covaxin'.

The meeting comes a day before the dry run for vaccinations in all states. At an event on Thursday, CDSCO General Dr VG Somani said, "Probably we will have a happy New Year with something in hand. That is what I can hint at".

Once the vaccines are cleared by the expert panel, the applications will move to the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for final approval.

The government of India wants to start administering the shots starting this month.

SII is making the vaccine 'Covishield' developed by Oxford University and pharma major AstraZeneca and Bharat Biotech which has partnered the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for its 'Covaxin' had made presentations before the panel on Wednesday.

While Pfizer had sought more time to present their data.

India, which has the world's second-highest number of COVID-19 infections in the world after the United States, plans to inoculate 30 crore people in the next six to eight months and the affordable Oxford vaccine is its biggest hope.