NEW DELHI (AP) – India tested its COVID-19 vaccine delivery system with a nationwide trial on Saturday as it prepares to roll out a vaccination program to stop the coronavirus pandemic.
The trial included data entry on an online platform to monitor vaccine delivery, along with testing of cold storage and transport arrangements for the vaccine, the Health Ministry said in a statement.
The massive exercise was followed by the Indian drug regulator that recommended the approval of two vaccines for COVID-19 – one developed by the University of Oxford and British drug company AstraZeneca, and another by Indian manufacturer Bharat Biotech.
Both vaccines will now have to wait for final approval from the Indian regulator.
Serum Institute of India, the world’s largest vaccine producer, has been contracted by AstraZeneca to produce 1 billion doses for developing countries, including India. On Wednesday, Great Britain was the first to approve the shot.
The vaccine developed by Bharat Biotech is based on an inactivated form of the coronavirus. It is made in partnership with Indian government agencies. Early clinical studies showed that the vaccine has no serious side effects and produces antibodies to COVID-19. The company said in November that it was starting late clinical trials.
The government plans to inoculate 300 million people in the first phase of the vaccination program, including health and frontline workers, police and military forces, and co-morbid people over the age of 50.
The government is expected to rely initially on the Serum Institute of India vaccine, which doesn’t require the ultra-cold storage facilities that some others do. Instead, it can be kept in refrigerators. This makes it a viable candidate not only for India but other developing countries as well.
Indian Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Saturday discussed preparation for the vaccination drive at a government hospital in New Delhi and urged the public to ignore rumors about the vaccine. “We will not compromise on a protocol before approving a vaccine,” he told reporters.
Pooja Moriya, a health worker in the capital who will be one of the first to be vaccinated, said hospital staff had several meetings about the vaccine and how it works. “Our seniors have told us not to be afraid at all,” said Moriya.
India has confirmed more than 10.3 million cases of coronavirus, the second in the world after the US. More than 149,000 people have died of the virus in India.