India gets 4th COVID vaccine, Moderna granted emergency use approval

New Delhi: The government on Tuesday announced that it has granted emergency use approval to the US-made anti-COVID-19 vaccine Moderna for inoculation in India.

With this, Moderna becomes the fourth vaccine allowed to administer in India. Already UK's Covidshield developed by AstraZeneca, indigenous Covaxin manufactured by Bharat Biotec in collaboration with Indian Council of Medical Research and Russia's Sputnik are being inoculated.

"New drug permission has been granted to Moderna, the first internationally developed vaccine. This new drug permission is for restricted use," said Dr VK Paul, Member-Health, Niti Aayog in a press conference here.

Dr Paul said like the other three vaccines, Moderna two will be administered in two doses in India.

The senior health official said very soon approval will also be granted to the US-made Pfizer as the government is working on the deal.

As per reports, Mumbai-based pharmaceutical company Cipla has been approval by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) to import the vaccine from the US for restricted emergency use.

Cipla has informed the government on June 27 that the US has agreed to donate a certain number of doses of Moderna through COVAX to India and sought approval from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO).

Cipla has cited the DCGI notices of allowing those vaccines approved by the US, the European Union and few other organisations, for inoculation in India. (UNI)