Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said approval to vaccines of Serum Institute of India (SII) and Bharat Biotech Ltd “accelerates the road to a healthier and Covid-free nation”, minutes after the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) nod for the two shots for emergency use. The Prime Minister also, in a series of tweet, expressed gratitude to the frontline workers involved in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
“A decisive turning point to strengthen a spirited fight! DCGI granting approval to vaccines of @SerumInstIndia and @BharatBiotech accelerates the road to a healthier and COVID-free nation. Congratulations India. Congratulations to our hardworking scientists and innovators,” PM Modi tweeted. “It would make every Indian proud that the two vaccines that have been given emergency use approval are made in India! This shows the eagerness of our scientific community to fulfil the dream of an Aatmanirbhar Bharat, at the root of which is care and compassion,” he said.
“We reiterate our gratitude to doctors, medical staff, scientists, police personnel, sanitation workers and all Corona warriors for the outstanding work done, that too in adverse circumstances. We will remain eternally grateful to them for saving many lives,” he added.
The Prime Minister’s tweet came after DCGI formally announced the approval for Oxford-AstraZeneca and Bharat Biotech vaccines against the coronavirus disease. “CDSCO (Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation) accepts the subject expert committee reform rations on Serum and Bharat Biotech Covid vaccines,” DCGI VG Somani during a press conference.
The subject expert committee (SEC) under CDSCO had recommended Oxford-AstraZeneca’s vaccine, which is being manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII) as Covishield, for emergency use and Covaxin for restricted use. Covaxin is the indigenous vaccine being developed by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
