GOOD NEWS! India LIKELY to get NOVAVAX COVID-19 vaccine from September - check efficacy, updates and everything you need to know

Novavax Vaccine India: There is some good news related to the COVID-19 vaccination in India. The Serum Institute of India (SII) hopes to introduce the Indian version of US-based firm Novavax's COVID-19 vaccine in India - Covavax. It is expected that this vaccine will be introduced by September this year and trials on children will begin from July.

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According to an ANI report, sources said that the SII is hoping to introduce the Covavax in the country by September this year which is a version of US firm Novavax's COVID-19 vaccine.

It has to be remembered that the nationwide vaccination drive began in the country on January 16, 2021, with Covishield and Covaxin. Recently, Russian Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine has also been approved by the government for usage in India. From May 1, 2021, all adults above 18 years of age were included for the vaccination drive. The Prime Minister has announced that the government will provide free vaccinations for all adults above 18 years of age from June 21, 2021. In the midst of this situation, the news of the introduction of Covavax in India is certainly a boost for the ongoing vaccination drive.

The ANI report states that earlier this week, Novavax's vaccine exhibited a 90.4 per cent overall efficacy in the third phase of clinical trials. Due to this efficacy rate shown by Novavax's vaccine puts it in the same bracket as two of the frontline vaccines, Pfizer and Moderna, being currently used in the US and European countries. The efficacy rates for Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna are 90.3 per cent and 90 per cent in third phase trials, respectively.

The sources further confirmed ANI, "Serum Institute plans to start clinical trials of Novavax shot for children in July." Incidentally, the trails for 6 to 12 years children for Covaxin started at AIIMS Delhi from June 15, 2021. It has also been reported that following the recruitment of children between 6 and 12 years, AIIMS Delhi will be conducting trials for the age group between 2 and 6 years. Also, the recruitment and clinical trial of single dose Covaxin for the age group between 12 and 18 years is over.

On Tuesday, the central government said that the recently declared Novavax COVID-19 vaccine efficacy data in a large trial are promising and the clinical trials are being conducted are in an advanced stage of completion in India.