Three coronavirus vaccines in India in different testing stages: PM Modi

NEW DELHI, Aug 15, 2020, India Today. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday that three vaccines, that are being developed and tested in India to fight the novel coronavirus, are at different stages of testing. PM Narendra Modi also said his government will ensure every Indian gets vaccinated against coronavirus, India Today reported.

Addressing the nation from the iconic Red Fort in Delhi on India completing 73 years of Independence, PM Modi said the roadmap for the production of coronavirus vaccine and its distribution to every Indian in the least amount of time, is ready. He said the mass production of coronavirus vaccine will begin once scientists give their nod.

PM Modi said, “Three coronavirus vaccines are at different testing stages in India. The roadmap for its production and distribution among the Indians is also ready. The government will ensure every Indian gets the vaccine against coronavirus.”

“As soon as the scientists give a green signal, the country will begin their large-scale production,” PM Narendra Modi said, adding the talent of “our scientists is like that of rishi munis”.

“We will announce the roadmap for its distribution as soon as it gets final clearances,” PM Modi said.

He said whenever there is talk of coronavirus, the question that comes to everyone’s mind is that when will a vaccine be ready. “I want to tell people, the talent of our scientists is like that of ‘rishi munis’ and they are working very hard in laboratories. Three vaccines are in various stages of testing,” he said.

PM Modi said the government would soon announce the National Digital Health Mission under which, every citizen would get a health ID. “National Digital Health Mission will bring a new revolution in India’s health sector,” PM Modi said, adding, “Health updates will be logged in the health ID on every visit to a pharmacy or a doctor.”

“Every Indian will have his own health ID. This ID will have all details like disease, treatment, doctors, hospital visits, payment details, medicine he/she using,” PM Modi said.

PM Narendra Modi also lauded the efforts put in by the healthcare workers and other Corona Warriors who have been relentlessly battling the coronavirus pandemic since the threat was reported in the country in January.

PM Modi also offered condolences for those who lost their loved ones in the pandemic due to the virus that has claimed over 48,000 lives in the country so far.

PM Modi said, “We can’t even count the number of nameless faces who have worked to fight against the coronavirus pandemic in these months. To these workers and Corona Warriors, I bow my head with humility.”

The phase-1 and 2 human clinical trials of two of them, developed indigenously by Bharat Biotech, in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research(ICMR), and Zydus Cadila Ltd, are currently underway.

The Serum Institute of India has been permitted for conducting Phase 2 and 3 human clinical trials of the third vaccine candidate developed by Oxford University. The Pune-based institute has partnered with AstraZeneca for manufacturing the