Emergency use authorisation for Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine in India
Biopharmaceutical company Pfizer Inc. has applied for emergency approval for use of its coronavirus two-shot vaccine from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI). However, there has been no response from the DCGI nor the health ministry.
As of last week, India has reported more than 9.60 million COVID-19 cases with nearly 140,000 deaths. It is the country with the world’s second-highest number of infections, just after the US. Despite the astounding number of infections, India is depending on locally tested vaccines instead of those developed by companies such as Pfizer and Moderna Inc. Among the many concerns cited was that the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine needs to be stored at minus 70 degrees Celsius (-94 F) or below – a temperature that most Indian cold storages cannot reach.
Even as Pfizer waits for authorisation from DCGI, UK regulators have approved use of its vaccine with Britain slated to become the first country to administer doses sometime this week – the vaccines will initially be available at hospitals before reaching clinics and other medical relief centres.
Read: FDA approves booster dose of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for US citizens
Category: Features, Pharmaceuticals
