India approves two Covid-19 vaccines for emergency use

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NEW DELHI, Jan 3, 2021 (BSS/AFP) – India has authorised the emergency use of
two coronavirus vaccines developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University and
by local pharmaceutical firm Bharat Biotech, the country’s drug regulator
said Sunday.

“The… vaccines of Serum Institute (AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine) and Bharat
Biotech are being approved for restricted use in emergency situations,” the
Drugs Controller General of India, V.G. Somani, said at a briefing.

The approval is expected to kick off one of the world’s biggest vaccination
drives in coming days in the country of 1.3 billion people.

India is the world’s second most-infected nation with more than 10.3
million cases and almost 150,000 deaths.