'We need to prove to the world that quality vaccines and R&D are possible in India.'
'Nobody is attacking the company or the vaccine.' 'The concerns are about the process and the lack of transparency.'
Bharat Biotech started work on developing a vaccine against Zika way back in 2014.
The expert committee sought more information from Serum Institute regarding the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.
The prime minister was happy that the assurance given by the Serum Institute that it will make India self-sufficient in vaccines at the lowest possible price in the world was fulfilled.
Easing restrictions, all private hospitals were on Tuesday allowed to give the vaccines if they adhere to the laid down norms, while the 9 am to 5 pm timing was also done away with.
This follows a widespread criticism of its pricing policy as it sold Covaxin to the central government at Rs 150 per dose.
Only half India's population has received the first shot of Covishield and Covaxin and the government's immediate task is to first vaccinate its adult population before placing its focus on children.
India is emerging as a major hub for global clinical trials and this new sector is poised to generate more revenue than the information technology industry by 2010, an industry leader has forecast.
The Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech has fixed the price of its COVID-19 vaccine, Covaxin, at Rs 600 per dose for state governments and at Rs 1,200 per dose for private hospitals. The Pune-based Serum Institute of India, the world's largest vaccine maker in terms of volume, has announced a price of Rs 400 per dose for its COVID-19 vaccine, 'Covishield', for state governments and Rs 600 per dose for private hospitals.
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