DBT's expert committee tracking developments related to COVID-19 vaccine: Renu Swarup

By Sahil Pandey
New Delhi (India), December 4 (ANI): Department of Biotechnology Secretary Renu Swarup on Friday said that the ministry has set up a vaccine expert committee which will give scientific inputs on regulatory requirements related to COVID-19 vaccine.
"Department of Biotechnology has set up a vaccine expert committee which meets every 2 weeks. It gives scientific inputs on meeting the regulatory requirements," Renu Swarup said in a webinar on 'Regulatory Pathways for COVID19 Vaccines, Clinical Trials, Rolling Reviews and Adverse Event Monitoring, at Nirman Bhawan.
Swarup highlighted that vaccine development is a complex process and a lot of science has gone in making it.
The panel, which also has experts from across the country and abroad, meets every two weeks to hold discussions not just with the academic research groups but also the vaccine manufacturers and developers to understand what they need for its development.
"It is not necessary that the first one is the best, you may have one coming later which is going to be better but it is difficult to say right now," Swarup added at a webinar.
Swarup stressed that it is important to have a large basket of vaccines and said, "As we move forward, we really don't know which one is going to be the best."
Amid the novel coronavirus pandemic and the government's efforts to contain COVID-19 spread, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday held an all-party meeting via video conferencing in order to discuss the COVID-19 vaccination strategy in India.
During the meeting, PM Modi told the authorities that about eight potential vaccines, currently in different stages of trials, will be manufactured in India. These also include three indigenous vaccines as well. (ANI)