01 Which are the COVID-19 vaccines that have been currently
approved by the Indian Government?
The Drugs Controller General of India (DGCI), the national level
drug regulator, so far, has granted approval to two vaccines for
'restricted use in an emergency situation'. The two
vaccines are: (1) COVISHIELD (developed by Oxford
– AstraZeneca and manufactured by the Serum Institute of
India) and (2) COVAXIN (developed by Bharat
Biotech).
02 Will the COVID-19 vaccines be provided to everyone
simultaneously?
The Indian Government is carrying out the COVID-19 vaccination
drive in a phased manner. The COVID-19 vaccines will not be
administered to everyone simultaneously. As per the Operational
Guidelines issued (available on www.mohfw.gov.in), the
vaccine will first be given to the following priority
group: (i) healthcare and frontline workers; (ii) those
about 50 years of age; and (iii) those below 50 years of age with
comorbidities.
