After the Drugs Controller General of India gave approval for the emergency usage of Bharat Biotech’s COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin in India, AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria said the vaccine made by Serum Institute of India will be made available earlier, as the Pune-based company already have 50 million doses, reports ANI. 

The AIIMS director said Covaxin made by Bharat Biotech will be used as a backup when they will not be sure about “how efficacious the Serum Institute vaccine is going to be,” quoted news agency ANI. 

The DGCI early on Sunday formally approved Oxford-AstraZeneca’s Covishield and Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin for restricted emergency use in India.

On the approval of COVID-19 vaccines, the AIIMS director said, “It’s a great day for our country and it’s a very good way to start the new year. Both vaccines are made in India. They are cost-effective and easy to administer.”

“We should, in a very short period, start rolling out the vaccine.”

Talking about mutant coronavirus, the AIIMS director said, “The approval clearly says ’emergency situation’ keeping in mind the circulating variant strains and at the same time, they have to continue the trial and get the data in,” quoted ANI.

“Once that data comes in, we will be more confident as far as safety and efficacy is concerned,” he added.

“Initially, the Serum Institute vaccine will be given. They already have 50 million doses available and they will be able to give that in the initial phase where we will vaccinate around three crore people. Gradually, we will build on it and by the time Bharat Biotech data will also be available,” Guleria told ANI.