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India Approves AstraZeneca and Local COVID-19 Vaccines

The world’s second-most populous nation has logged 10.3 million coronavirus cases and nearly 150,000 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

On Sunday, India gave the OK to two COVID-19 vaccines, including one made by Indian drug company Bharat Biotech. India’s drug regulator also approved the AstraZeneca vaccine developed by Oxford University. Both vaccines require two doses but some officials have expressed concern over the locally made vaccine, which has only recently started clinical trials. India, the world’s second most populous nation after China, has logged more than 10.3 million COVID-19 cases and over 149,000 virus-related deaths. Health authorities plan to immunize 300 million people starting with health-care workers, police, the elderly, and those with chronic illnesses by August. India’s health ministry has trained 20,000 health care workers to administer the shots.