NEW DELHI, Sept 13 - The coronavirus vaccine might be ready by the first quarter of 2021, Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Harsh Vardhan said on Sunday. �While no date has been fixed for the vaccine launch, it may be ready by the first quarter of 2021,� he said. Harsh Vardhan also said that the government is considering emergency authorisation of COVID-19 vaccination to senior citizens and people working in high-risk settings. �This shall be done after a consensus has been reached,� he added.
The National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 is drawing up a detailed strategy on how to immunise the majority of the population, he said during the �Sunday Samvad� programme where he interacted with his social media followers and answered their questions. The minister also assured that the government is taking full precautions in conducting human trials of the vaccine.
Harsh Vardhan also said he would be happy to take the first dosage of the vaccine if some people have a trust deficit.
His statement came in the wake of an incident in the UK where one of the participants in the ongoing trial of the University of Oxford vaccine candidate developed a severe complication right after being administered its dose.
The minister also informed about vaccine candidates and their development in India. � IANS
