India Aims to Develop World's First COVID Vaccine... Targeting August Release

A security guard is measuring the temperature of customers entering a shopping mall in Bangalore, India.
[Photo by AFP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Chunhee Lee] India announced plans to develop the world's first novel coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine by the 15th of next month.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), affiliated with the Indian government, stated on the 3rd, "The first 'Made in India' COVID-19 vaccine could be released by the 15th of next month." ICMR added, "About 10 institutions have been selected for clinical trials," and "These institutions will prioritize conducting the clinical trials."

If this plan materializes, India will become the first country in the world to develop a COVID-19 vaccine. Previously, the Indian pharmaceutical company Bharat Biotech's COVID-19 vaccine 'Covaxin' received approval from authorities last month for Phase 1 and Phase 2 clinical trials. Bharat Biotech has been conducting this research in collaboration with ICMR. The clinical trials are expected to begin nationwide around the 7th of this month.

Moreover, other Indian pharmaceutical companies are also reported to be about to start vaccine clinical trials soon.

However, there are skeptical views regarding the Indian government's plan. Generally, clinical trials take several years, but the Indian government is reportedly rushing to shorten the period to meet the Independence Day deadline on the 15th of next month. Professor Ramanan Lakshminarayanan of Princeton University in the United States said in a local media interview, "Developing a COVID-19 vaccine requires at least two years," and "There are many variables in vaccine development, so it is surprising that India has set a release date in advance."