COVID-19 Vaccine Will Be Available By The Beginning of 2021: Harsh Vardhan

The minister said that India has been at the forefront in handling the pandemic from January. He said that the country has come a long way in handling the fight against COVID-19.

Published: September 18, 2020 1:08 PM IST

By India.com Lifestyle Staff | Edited by Anjali Thakur

Coronavirus

Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan while speaking at the Rajya Sabha said the vaccine for the deadly coronavirus could become available by the beginning of 2021.

As reported by Hindustan Times, the minister said, “We hope that by the beginning of the next year we will get a vaccine. We are also coordinating with the World Health Organization (WHO) and other bodies. We are among the few countries that have managed to isolate the virus. There are around 40,000 samples that are being studied.”

But he pointed that even after the vaccine is ready, it will however not reach everyone immediately. He also emphasized that following the social distancing guideline is the most important norm against the Covid-19 fight.

While speaking at the Rajya Sabha, Harsh Vardhan also mentioned various issues related to the availability, affordability of a vaccine.

“We have to break the chain of transmission. The mask is our greatest protector. After the lockdown was eased, people felt the virus had been controlled. But we need to follow hygiene protocols, continue distancing, and wear masks. The transmission is taking place because of our carelessness. We should consider wearing a mask and maintaining a two-yard distance from other people as the best social vaccine,” Vardhan said.

The minister said that India has been at the forefront in handling the pandemic from January. He said that the country has come a long way in handling the fight against COVID-19.

Countries like the United States of America were trying to learn about it when the novel coronavirus outburst took place, he said.

According to Hindustan Times, Clinical trials were being held for the Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) vaccine and there were vaccine candidates that had reached phases I, II, and III. He said India’s recovery rate has improved.

“The mortality rate at 1.64% is the lowest in the world and the government is targeting bringing it down to less than 1%. The number of cases may have crossed 50 million, the number of active cases was less than 20%,” he said.

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