India Approves AstraZeneca And Locally Made COVID-19 Vaccines

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JAKARTA - The head of India's drug regulator has given final approval for the emergency use of two COVID-19 vaccines, namely the vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford and the domestically made vaccine Bharat Biotech.

The efficacy of the AstraZeneca / Oxford vaccine is 70.42 percent, while the COVAXIN made by Bharat Biotech is "safe and provides a strong immune response", said VG Somani, head of the Indian Drug Administration (DCGI), as quoted by Antara, Sunday, January 3.

The UK developed AstraZeneca / Oxford injection is made locally by the Serum Institute of India. Meanwhile, Bharat Biotech is working with the government-owned Indian Medical Research Council.

"The M / s Serum and M / s Bharat Biotech vaccines are approved for limited use in emergency situations," Somani said reading a written statement during a press conference.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed the vaccine agreement.

"It will make all Indians proud that the two vaccines given the green light for emergency use are made in India!" he said on Twitter. Modi called India an 'independent' country.

Meanwhile in China, the Beijing Municipal Government has begun to deploy mass COVID-19 vaccinations against community groups classified as high risk. In the vaccination process, some residents will be quarantined in a number of hotels.

It is planned that the vaccine will be divided into nine groups of people aged 18 years to 59 years. They will get the vaccine before the Chinese New Year holiday season, at the end of January 2021.

Citing the official local media website, those who received the vaccine were customs inspectors for imported frozen foodstuffs, Chinese nationals who worked or studied abroad, and transportation sector officials.