Covid-19 vaccination in India will be voluntary, says health ministry
Getting the Covid-19 vaccine will be on a voluntary basis, Indian Health Ministry said as the country prepares to launch a drive to administer the vaccines possibly by next month.
The ministry said it was advisable to receive a complete schedule of the coronavirus vaccine irrespective of past history of infection with Covid-19 as this will help in developing a strong immune response.
Two doses of vaccine, 28 days apart, need to be taken by an individual to complete the vaccination schedule, the health ministry said in a series of answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) on Covid-19 vaccine on Thursday night.
The FAQ sheet responded to questions like if taking a vaccine is mandatory, how long does it take for the antibodies to develop and if it is necessary for a Covid-19 recovered person to take the vaccine, reports our New Delhi correspondent.
The ministry said that vaccine trials are under different stages of finalisation. Six vaccines -- one developed by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with Indian Council of Medical Research, second one developed by Zydus Cadila, third one by Gennova, Oxford vaccine, trial of which is conducted by Serum Institute of India, Sputnik V vaccine being manufactured by Dr Reddy''s Lab, Hyderabad in collaboration with Russia's Gamaleya National Centre and the sixth one manufactured by Biological E Ltd, Hyderabad, in collaboration with MIT, USA are undergoing clinical trials in India.
On whether a vaccine will be safe as it is being tested and introduced in a short span of time and what can be the possible side-effects, the ministry said vaccines will be introduced in the country only after the regulatory bodies clear it based on its safety and efficacy.
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