COVID-19 vaccine to cost Rs 225, 100 million doses to become available by 2021 beginning    

Afaq Bhat
Srinagar, Aug 7: Nearly six months after the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, it appears that scientists and researchers are very close at hitting the nail on its head.
According to the media reports Serum Institute of India would receive $150 million in funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the GAVI vaccines alliance to make 100 million COVID-19 vaccine doses for India and other emerging economies as early as 2021.
The candidate vaccines, including those from AstraZeneca and Novavax, will be priced at $3 (Rs 225) per dose and will be made available in 92 countries in GAVI’s COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC), the media reports stated.
Recently ICMR had stated that the Serum institute’s Recombinant vaccine would start in 17 places across the country in coming weeks.
An analyst while talking to Precious Kashmir said, “It seems that the new dawn would breakout soon and the deadly virus which is claiming lives daily across the country and in Jammu and Kashmir will disappear.”
He said that the medicos have already made it clear that even after the vaccine appears people will have to follow the social distancing norms, wear masks and use sanitizers. “The ICMR’s statement is encouraging and it appears that by 2012 beginning most of the people across the country would be able to get themselves vaccinated,” the analyst added.
He said, “India has got a huge population and vaccine is the only solution. The COVID-19 spreading within the community has wreaked havoc. People in every part of the country are eagerly waiting for the vaccine to come. Till date people have shown resilience and are fighting the COVID-19 in every possible way. It is just a matter of time before they will get a shield to protect themselves.”
An observer said that reports which are emanating from different countries are encouraging as some nations have already found the cure while others are very close to it. “Members of medical fraternity have been working very hard to save the precious human lives. They have to hold the fort for some more time,” the observer added.
He said, “There is no doubt about the fact that cases are increasing with each passing day but people are recovering also and it’s a good sign. During all these months human race has witnessed gloom and despair but it’s all set to end. Besides Serum Institute other pharmaceutical companies in the country too are very close to achieve the breakthrough.”