Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 Vaccine Likely To Be Ready For Use As Early As December: Serum Institute CEO

The Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, which is in the final phase of the human trials in India, will be ready for use in December itself in the country if the government decides to go for 'emergency use authorisation', reports Times of India.

According to the report, in case the government decides against emergency authorisation of the vaccine, it could still be launched in January as the third-stage trials are likely to be over by December.

Pune-based Serum Institute of India, which is the world's largest vaccine maker in terms of doses produced, has partnered with British-Swedish pharma company AstraZeneca for the production of the Covid-19 vaccine.

Around 100 million doses of the vaccine could be made widely available by the second quarter of 2021, Serum Institute's CEO Adar Poonawalla told a private news channel on Wednesday (28 October).

“If we don’t go for an emergency licence, our trials should be over by December and then we can maybe launch in India in January subject to the UK trial also being completed which it’s on the verge of being completed,” Poonawalla was quoted as saying.

The Serum CEO further said that if the vaccine is found safe by the UK authorities, the company could reach out to Indian regulator for a possible emergency license for the vaccine in December.

He further said that the company is aiming for 100 million doses of the vaccine at first, that would be available by as early as the second quarter of 2021.