Serum Institute of India CEO Adar Poonawalla informed that the trials of Covovax in India have started. Covovax vaccine is being developed in partnership with American vaccine developer Novavax.
Taking to his Twitter handle, Poonawalla wrote, “Covovax trials finally begin in India; the vaccine is made through a partnership with @Novavax and @SerumInstIndi. It has been tested against African and UK variants of #COVID19 and has an overall efficacy of 89%. Hope to launch by September 2021 (sic)!”
Covovax trials finally begin in India; the vaccine is made through a partnership with @Novavax and @SerumInstIndia. It has been tested against African and UK variants of #COVID19 and has an overall efficacy of 89%. Hope to launch by September 2021! https://t.co/GyV6AQZWdV
— Adar Poonawalla (@adarpoonawalla) March 27, 2021
Covovax is Serum Institute of India’s second coronavirus vaccine after Covishield. Earlier, SII had developed Covishield in partnership with the Oxford University and British-Swedish pharma firm AstraZeneca.
India first vaccinated health workers and frontline workers on January 16. Later, the vaccine drive began for those above 60 and above 45 with serious illness began on March 1. Now, all people above 45 years of age will be vaccinated from April 1.
Meanwhile, the second wave has been rising alarmingly in India. There has been a spike of 62,258 infections in the last 24 hours taking India’s tally to 1.19 crore cases, data from the Health Ministry said.
Ms Kalinga