Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Sunday, Jun 01, 2025

India rolls out red carpet for foreign-made vaccines as infections surge

India rolls out red carpet for foreign-made vaccines as infections surge

The Indian government has said that foreign-made vaccines approved by the US, UK and Japan, and those listed by the World Health Organization, can be granted emergency use approval, in a policy U-turn that comes as India registered the highest surge in Covid-19 infections.

In a marked shift in its policy on regulatory approvals for foreign vaccine manufacturers, the Indian government fast-tracked approval for foreign vaccines, which can apply for emergency-use authorisation.

“It will also open up, eventually, doors for import of bulk or import of finished foreign vaccines in vials or import leading to fill and finish (of the vaccine) in the country,” Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan told the media.


"We invite...Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson and others to be ready to come to India as early as possible," said VK Paul, chairman of the National Expert Committee on Vaccine Administration.

Soaring infections


The decision comes at a time when India recorded the world’s biggest surge in infections. In addition, severe vaccines shortages are being reported from various parts of the country with several states indicating that just over five days of vaccine stocks are currently remaining, while another week of supplies is in the pipeline.

On Wednesday, India reported a total of 184,372 new Covid-19 cases pushing the tally of cases to 13.8 million, according to health ministry data. With 1,027 deaths in the last 24 hours, the death toll increased to 172,085.

India has already passed Brazil's tally, making it the country with the second-highest number of infections in the world.

The western state of Maharashtra, the epicentre of the second wave, alone accounts for 50 percent of the total active caseload of the country.

Under the new norms, instead of conducting a local clinical trial before seeking an emergency use authorisation, vaccine makers can conduct a bridging trial parallel to the rollout post-authorisation, the government said.

“The first 100 beneficiaries of such foreign vaccines shall be assessed for seven days for safety outcomes before it is rolled out for further immunisation," the health ministry statement said.

“The plan is to increase the pace of vaccination with a bigger pool of vaccines because this second Covid wave is unprecedented and we need to be prepared,” virologist Jacob John told RFI.

Shortage of vaccines


A day prior to the announcement, Russia's Covid vaccine Sputnik V was cleared for emergency use by India's drug regulator, the Drugs Controller General of India.

Currently there are two approved vaccines – one developed by Oxford-AstraZeneca and made by the Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII), and another developed by the Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech.

The government reportedly failed to anticipate a higher demand for vaccinations when it opened up its first vaccination drive on January 16.

Officials also did not take into account the vaccines that the country had shipped out through its ambitious "Vaccine Maitri", or "vaccine friendship", initiative with other countries.


India has shipped more than 60 million doses to 76 nations, delivered either under the World Health Organization-backed Covax mechanism or as part of commercial deals.

Since the country started the world's largest vaccination programme, over 111 million people have received one dose of the vaccine so far.

With demand for vaccines suddenly spiking since 1 April due to the second surge in infections as well as the age threshold for vaccination being reduced to 45 plus, production capacity was unable to keep up.

Pfizer, which withdrew its application for importing its mRNA vaccine after the subject expert committee of India’s drug regulator rejected its request for a waiver for a local trial, is likely to be the biggest beneficiary of the relaxed rules in India.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
UAE Offers Free ChatGPT Plus Subscriptions to Citizens
Lebanon Initiates Plan to Disarm Palestinian Factions
Iran and U.S. Make Limited Progress in Nuclear Talks
The Daily Debate: The Fall of the Dollar — Strategic Reset or Economic Self-Destruction?
Trump Administration's Tariff Policies and Dollar Strategy Spark Global Economic Debate
OpenAI Acquires Jony Ive’s Startup for $6.5 Billion to Build a Revolutionary “Third Core Device”
Turkey Weighs Citizens in Public as Erdoğan Launches National Slimming Campaign
Saudi-Spanish Business Forum Commences in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia and Spain Sign MoU to Boost SME Sectors
UK Suspends Trade Talks with Israel Amid Gaza Offensive
Iran and U.S. Set for Fifth Round of Nuclear Talks Amid Rising Tensions
Russia Expands Military Presence Near Finland Amid Rising Tensions
Indian Scholar Arrested in Crackdown Over Pakistan Conflict Commentary
Israel Eases Gaza Blockade Amid Internal Dispute Over Military Strategy
President Biden’s announcement of advanced prostate cancer sparked public sympathy—but behind closed doors, Democrats are in panic
A Chinese company made solar tiles that look way nicer than regular panels!
Indian jet shootdown: the all-robot legion behind China’s PL-15E missiles
The Chinese Dragon: The True Winner in the India-Pakistan Clash
Australia's Venomous Creatures Contribute to Life-Saving Antivenom Programme
The Spanish Were Right: Long Working Hours Harm Brain Function
Did Former FBI Director Call for Violence Against Trump? Instagram Post Sparks Uproar
US and UAE Partner to Develop Massive AI Data Center Complex
Apple's $95 Million Siri Settlement: Eligible Users Have Until July 2 to File Claims
US and UAE Reach Preliminary Agreement on Nvidia AI Chip Imports
President Trump and Elon Musk Welcomed by Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim with Cybertruck Convoy
Strong Warning Issued: Do Not Use General Chatbots for Medical, Legal, or Educational Guidance
Saudi Arabia Emerges as Global Tech Magnet with U.S. Backing and Trump’s Visit
This was President's departure from Saudi Arabia. The Crown Prince personally escorted him back to the airport.
NVIDIA and Saudi Arabia Launch Strategic Partnership to Establish AI Centers
Trump Meets Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara in Historic Encounter
Trump takes a blow torch to the neocons and interventionists while speaking to the Saudis
US and Saudi Arabia Sign Landmark Agreements Across Multiple Sectors
Why Saudi Arabia Rolled Out a Purple Carpet for Donald Trump Instead of Red
Elon Musk Joins Trump Meeting in Saudi Arabia
Trump says it would be 'stupid' not to accept gift of Qatari plane
Quantum Computing Threatens Bitcoin Security
Michael Jordan to Serve as Analyst for NBA Games
×