No matter who develops vaccine, India will have to scale it up: ICMR chief

ICMR Director General Balram Bhargava told Ruchika Chitravanshi, in an email interview, that he's hopeful of a vaccine soon and that many countries were in touch with India for its distribution

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has been leading India’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic for the last six months from vaccine development and drug trials to contact tracing and containment exercise. ICMR Director General Balram Bhargava told Ruchika Chitravanshi  that he’s hopeful of a vaccine soon and that many countries were in touch with India for its distribution. Edited excerpts from an email interview:

We understand that August 15 is not a deadline any more as far as Bharat Biotech’s vaccine is concerned. When can we expect to have a vaccine?

Given the outbreak of the pandemic, it’s