India to launch Covid-19 vaccine by August 15: ICMR chief Bhargava

ICMR and Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech are jointly working on preclinical as well as clinical development of Covaxin

India is planning to launch the Covid-19 vaccine by August 15 this year, according to the head of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the country’s premier, state-run medical research organisation.

Balram Bhargava, director general of the ICMR, on Thursday wrote to research groups, saying “it is envisaged to launch the vaccine for public health use latest by 15th August 2020 after completion of all clinical trials”. Claiming that it was the first indigenous vaccine being developed by India and one of the priority projects of the government, Bhargava wrote the project was being monitored at the “topmost level