Oxford’s Covishield in India by year end; Pfizer shot shows promise

While the promising results showed by experimental Covid-19 vaccines being developed by University of Oxford and Moderna Inc in early human testing have grabbed the spotlight in the past week, raising hopes of early availability in the market, a World Health Organization (WHO) expert said their first use cannot be expected until early 2021.

“Several vaccines are now in Phase 3 trials and none have failed, so far, in terms of safety or ability to generate an immune response. Realistically, it is going to be the first part of next year before we start seeing people getting vaccinated,” Reuters quoted said Mike Ryan, head of WHO’s emergencies programme, as saying.

Meanwhile, latest results from Oxford university and Moderna show that two doses of a vaccine may be better than one in getting protection from the novel coronavirus.

Presently, there are more than 150 vaccine candidates that are in various stages of trials against the coronavirus, according to the World Health Organisation. Out of them, about two dozen are undergoing human clinical trials.

Indian express