Over 16 lakh healthcare workers across India have received Covid-19 vaccine jabs till the evening of the ninth day of the nationwide immunisation drive, the government said. On January 16, the nation launched the world's largest vaccination drive against the Covid-19 pandemic, which has claimed more than 1.3 million lives, sunk economies, shuttered businesses and shattered daily life the world over. The Prime Minister Narendra Modi-government had granted conditional approval to two vaccines, Covishield and Covaxin, developed by the Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech, respectively. In the first phase of the drive, 3 crore people will be vaccinated on priority. Developing a vaccine usually takes years of research and testing, but drugmakers worldwide defied predictions by finalising not just one vaccine in record time, but half a dozen. These shots are now also pitted against mutant and more infectious strains spreading out from the United Kingdom and South Africa. Here is the status of all vaccines that have been approved, some that are in human trials phase and other promising candidates in pre-clinical phases.
PRE |
PHASE I |
PHASE II |
PHASE III |
RR |
PHASE IV |
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Oxford-AstraZenecaUnited Kingdom |
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Pfizer US-Germany |
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ModernaUS |
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CovaxinIndia |
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NovavaxUS |
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Sputnik VRussia |
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Zydus CadilaIndia |
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SinovacChina |
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CanSinoChina |
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Sinopharm-Wuhan InstituteChina |
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Sinopharm-Beijing InstituteChina |
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BCG vaccineAustralia |
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CureVacGermany |
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Imperial College LondonUK |
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AnGesJapan |
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LUNAR-COV19US-Singapore |
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Johnson & JohnsonUS |
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Anhui vaccineChina |
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Soberana 1Cuba |
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EpiVacCoronaRussia |
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Institute of Medical BiologyChina |
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Inovio vaccineUS |
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GenexineSouth Korea |
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ARCoVChina |
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ReiThera vaccineItaly |
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Clover vaccineChina-US-UK |
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COVAX-19Australia |
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Medicago Canada |
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Molecular clamp vaccineAustralia |
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Kentucky BioProcessingUS |
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MedigenTaiwan |
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Sichuan vaccineChina |
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Sanofi-GSKFrance-UK |
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Merck vaccineUS-Austria |
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QazCovidKazakhstan |
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Sanofi-Translate BioFrance-US |
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NovartisSwitzerland-US |
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VaxartUS |
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CodagenixUS |
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INNA-051Australia |
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Eli LillyUS |
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Sometimes called Phase 0, this stage is conducted before any human testing can begin. The vaccine candidate is tested on cells and given to animals like monkey or mice to assess feasibility and safety. It focusses on whether the vaccine candidate produces an immune response
The vaccine shot is given to a small number of healthy people to evaluate safety and immune response after different doses. Usually lasts around 1-2 years, but for Covid-19 vaccines, it may take three months.
The vaccine is given to hundreds of volunteers split into groups depending on age and other factors. This stage further evaluates safety and ability to trigger immune response, as well as helps arrive at the right dose and schedule. Phase II trial takes around 2-3 years, but for Covid-19 vaccine, it can be wrapped up in eight months.
Thousands of people are given the vaccine shot and then studied for any infections versus those who were given placebos. This stage helps determine if the vaccine candidate protects against the virus and reveals any side-effects that might show up. This stage usually takes 2-4 years, but for Covid-19, many vaccine developers have clubbed it with Phase II.
Once a vaccine passes Phase III, the vaccine developer applies for a licence with the regulatory authority. The vaccine candidate continues to be monitored for safety and immunity.
Monitors effectiveness of the vaccine in real-world conditions after approval. The developer continues to test the vaccine after it has been released to the public for safety, efficacy and other possible uses.