India fights Covid-19: Institute likely to have Rs1000 coronavirus vaccine by September

The chief of one the world's largest vaccine makers has raised hopes by saying that a vaccine for Coronavirus may be available in the market as early as the end of September.

Adar Poonawalla, the chief of Serum Institute of India, told NDTV that trails for the vaccine are on and if everything goes according to plans, the vaccine would be available for around Rs1,000.

"That's what we hope to do by the end of May - we hope to start producing this vaccine so that by the time the trials get over in September, we could have a product that we can give to the Indian people and the world and not have to wait another 6 months after that to manufacture the vaccine," said Poonawalla.

Also read: Indian firm to commence human trials of vaccine

According to him, the Pune-based Serum Institute of India is working with scientists in the UK and the US to manufacture a vaccine.

While most experts have predicted a vaccine to be available in the market not before two years or 18 months, Poonawalla said they were able to overcome time constraints after tying up with scientists at the Oxford University.

According to AFP, the human trial of the vaccine started on April 23. Clinical trials of vaccines are also on in  countries like China and US.

Poonawalla expressed his faith in the Oxford team who had developed a vaccine for the Ebola virus.

michael@khaleejtimes.com