BackAll risks paid off, Covishield ready to roll out in coming weeks: Adar Poonawalla
The chief executive of the Pune-based vaccine manufacturer tweeted shortly after India approved the Covishield vaccine for emergency use
PremiumSerum Institute of India's CEO Adar Poonawalla on Sunday said that all the risks taken by SII have finally paid off. The chief executive of the Pune-based vaccine manufacturer tweeted shortly after India approved the Covishield vaccine for emergency use.
"Happy new year, everyone! All the risks @SerumInstIndia took with stockpiling the vaccine, have finally paid off. COVISHIELD, India's first COVID-19 vaccine is approved, safe, effective and ready to roll-out in the coming weeks," wrote Poonawalla on Twitter.
Apart from the Oxford vaccine, Bharat Biotech's Covaxin has also been granted permission for "restricted use" in the country.
Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) VG Somani said both the drug firms have submitted data on their trial runs and both have been granted permission for "restricted use".
The approval by the DCGI was given on the basis of recommendations submitted by a coronavirus subject expert committee (SEC) of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO).
DCGI says vaccines 100% safe
Assuring that vaccines with even the slightest safety concern would not be approved in the country, the DCGI said the vaccines that have been approved for emergency use are 110% safe.
"We'll never approve anything if there's slightest of safety concern. Vaccines are 110 per cent safe. Some side effects like mild fever, pain and allergy are common for every vaccine," the DCGI said.
"The rumours [that people may get impotent] is absolute rubbish," VG Somani said.
Earlier on Saturday, Bharat Biotech's Covid-19 vaccine, 'Covaxin', become the second vaccine to secure recommendations for restricted emergency use from a government-appointed expert panel in India.
A day earlier, the govt panel made a similar recommendation for Oxford's Covishield vaccine.
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