Key points:
- Meanwhile, according to world meters, the overall number of individuals who have developed the disease worldwide is 58.9 million.
- The top official in the United States said the US could start vaccinations in December, in what would be the worst-hit country in the world.
- If EUA is supposed to be granted in the US in December, this week the UK could give its approval, the study said.
- For the Pfizer, Sputnik V, and Moderna vaccines, two doses are needed per user.
As separate vaccine candidates are in the middle or beginning of late-stage trials, expectations for an early arrival of a new vaccine for coronavirus disease (Covid-19) have been rekindled.
Meanwhile, according to world meters, the overall number of individuals who have developed the disease worldwide is 58.9 million, although about 1.4 million have lost their lives due to it.
- Harsh Vardhan Stated:
In the recent update for a coronavirus vaccine, on Sunday, Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan expressed optimism that the vaccine candidate of Bharat Biotech International Limited, Covaxin, might complete its trials in a “month or two.”
Whereas a top official in the United States said, the US could start vaccinations in December, in what would be the worst-hit country in the world.
On the Covid-19 vaccine front, below are the latest updates:
1. On Sunday, Dr Harsh Vardhan announced the government’s plans to immunize between 200 million and 250 million people by next July.
“We are in the method of developing our aboriginal vaccines, completing our third-phase studies in the next one and maybe two months,” said the minister, referring to Covaxin from Bharat Biotech, which began its third-phase studies last week
2. In the United States, Moncef Slaoui, leader of the US government’s initiative to vaccinate viruses, said that by December 11-12, the country would launch its vaccination program.
Communicating to CNN, Slaoui said the plan is for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to be “able to ship vaccines to immunization sites within 24 hours of approval.”
Slaoui also predicted that 20 million people across the US would be vaccinated upcoming month, with an additional 30 million every month after that.
3. The Telegraph also confirmed that Pfizer could have applied for its vaccine candidate’s Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) in the United States, but it is the United Kingdom that may grant regulatory approval before the US does.
If EUA is supposed to be granted in the US in December, this week the UK could give its approval, the study said. In collaboration with Germany’s BioNTech SE, Pfizer has established its vaccine candidate, BNT162b2.
4. “On Sunday, Russian vaccine candidate Sputnik V’s official Twitter account stated that the price per dose of a vaccine would be much smaller” than that of Moderna as well as Pfizer’s American vaccines.
The advertised Pfizer price of USD 19.50 as well as the Moderna price of USD 25-USD 37 per dose literally means that their prices are USD 39 and USD 50-USD 74 per user.’
For the Pfizer, Sputnik V, and Moderna vaccines, two doses are needed per user. The Sputnik V price would be much smaller,’ said the official account.
