Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar told reporters on Saturday the vaccine had been approved on Friday, confirming what sources close to the matter had told Reuters. It is the first COVID-19 vaccine to be approved for emergency use by India, which has the highest number of infections after the United States. "One was approved yesterday for emergency use, Serum's COVISHIELD." he said, referring to the fact that the shot is being made locally by the Serum Institute of India (SII). India has reported more than 10 million COVID-19 cases, though its rate of infection has come down significantly from a mid-September peak.

Source: bd News24 January 02, 2021 10:07 UTC