“The vaccine has shown good efficacy,” senior ICMR scientist Rajni Kant, who is also a member of its Covid-19 task-force, said at the research body’s New Delhi headquarters on Thursday.

“It is expected that by the beginning of next year, February or March, something would be available.”

A launch in February would make COVAXIN the first India-made vaccine to be rolled out.

India’s cases of coronavirus infections rose by 50,201 cases on Thursday to 8.36 million, second only to the United States. Deaths rose by 704, with the total now at 124,315. The daily rise in infections and deaths has slowed since a peak in mid-September.

Until now — India's hopes were pinned on Britain's AstraZeneca, but work on the vaccine is taking longer than expected. Reports say — deliveries will run late, this means India will have to look elsewhere. A homegrown jab looks like the best bet.

India is not alone in doing this, Australia is set to buy 135 million doses of various vaccines.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison says he does not want to put all his eggs in the same basket.

India's Wuhan Virus outbreak is tapering off, since mid-September — daily cases have plunged significantly. But as we've seen in Europe and the US — a second wave is always a possibility.

Covaxin could be crucial in holding off new infections.

Story Source- https://www.wionews.com