GOOD NEWS! INDIA’S 1ST COVID-19 VACCINE TO BE AVAILABLE: HEALTH MINISTER SHARES UPDATES 

As countries are coming forward with production of more and more vaccines, Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan confirmed that India’s first indigenously developed COVID-19 vaccine - 'COVAXIN', could be available by the end of this year. 

He also said that "test, track, treat" was the government's strategy to move forward. The minister has even listed the progress stage of various vaccine candidates, that states some of them could be available in the first quarter of 2021.

In a recent interview to the Hindustan Times, Vardhan spoke about the current Covid-19 situation in the country, and provided details on the government's vaccine procurement plans.

When the Minister was asked as to when a vaccine would be ready for use in India, Vardhan said that vaccine trials against COVID-19 were being fast-tracked globally.

Giving details on India-made vaccines, Union Health and Family Welfare Minister said that the Oxford vaccine produced by Serum Institute of India was already being produced on a parallel end. The Health Minister said that the other two vaccines would require at least a month extra for production, and phased introduction in the market. 

He also asserted that if the vaccine trial results were successful, it could be "ready to use" by the first quarter of 2021. Highlighting about COVAXIN-  it is developed by Hyderabad-based pharmaceutical firm Bharat Biotech. Also, the human trials of 'COVAXIN' had started two weeks back and could be available by the end of 2020, Vardhan told Hindustan Times.