India COVID-19 Vaccine: PM Narendra Modi called it a decisive turning point.
Highlights
- PM Modi called the development a "decisive turning point"
- He as taken interest in vaccine's development over the past many months
- Congratulations to our hardworking scientists and innovators, PM tweeted
Minutes after the country's drug regulator announced the approval for two coronavirus vaccines today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said it would make every Indian proud that the two were "made in India".
"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," the Prime Minister tweeted.
The two vaccines, Serum Institute's Covishield and Bharat Biotech's Covaxin, received emergency approval from the Drug Controller General of India, VG Somani. The two firms submitted data on their trial runs and have been granted permission for "restricted use", Mr Somani told reporters today in New Delhi.
"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," the Prime Minister tweeted.
He called the development a "decisive turning point", "accelerating the road" to a healthier and Covid-free nation.
PM Modi has taken a keen interest in the vaccine's development over the past many months. Towards the end of November, he visited India's top vaccine hubs to personally review the status of the manufacturing process.
The Prime Minister's message today was quickly followed by one from Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh who congratulated both the nation as well as the Prime Minister himself.
Others leaders, too, welcomed the move to give the two vaccines approval, calling it a proud moment.
India is gearing to rollout the vaccines at a time when a new strain of coronavirus - first detected in the UK in September - has led to a fresh wave of restrictions worldwide. Top medical body, the Indian Council of Medical Research, said on Saturday that it has successfully cultured the new coronavirus strain. It claimed no other country had yet reported the successful isolation and culture of the UK-variant.
India's Covid tally, meanwhile, surged to 1.03 crore, the second highest number of cases in the world after the US. Over 99 lakh people have recovered while 1.49 lakh have died after contracting the virus.