The nasal vaccine is different from the two intramuscular vaccines which recently got approval, due to being non-invasive, needle-free, not requiring trained healthcare workers, eliminating needle-associated risks, and suitable for children and adults, having scalable manufacturing.
The approval to Covaxin has been questioned by industry experts and some opposition Congress leaders who have expressed concern over the absence of phase 3 trial data
The Brazilian Association of Vaccine Clinics (ABCVAC) confirmed on its website it had signed a memorandum of understanding with the Indian firm to purchase its Covaxin vaccine
"Following the emergency use permission, the company is in a position to meet any production requirement that the government may have at this time,” company officials said
While this vaccine addresses an unmet medical need during this pandemic, our goal is to provide global access to populations that need it the most. Covaxin has generated excellent safety data with robust immune responses
This is a major relief for India which has the second highest number of infections in the world, after the US. The Central government plans to vaccinate nearly 30 crore people in the first phase of drive in the next six to eight months.
The visit by the heads of foreign missions was organised by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and was part of India's efforts to develop partnerships for the manufacture and delivery of vaccines
The Ministry of External Affairs has made elaborate arrangements for the visit of the diplomats to the two manufacturing units at Medchal and Shamirpet.
