For the first time, since the massive vaccination drive began, India administered more than one crore vaccine doses in a single day against Covid-19. This is the highest-ever vaccination achieved in a single day since the start of the vaccination drive in January.
In another significant achievement, India's Covid-19 vaccination coverage has crossed the 62 crore landmark and presently stands at 62,17,06,882, as per the provisional report of the Health Ministry.
Hailing the feat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said: "Record vaccination numbers today! Crossing 1 crore is a momentous feat. Kudos to those getting vaccinated and those making the vaccination drive a success."
In another development, India has also crossed the landmark milestone of administering at least one dose of Covid vaccine to 50 per cent of its adult population.
India's dose administration rate was around 18 lakh per day before June 21. However, since June 21, it had gone up to almost half a crore per day.
DCGI finds first mRNA vaccine safe, gives nod
Meanwhile, the Drug Controller General of India has approved the Phase 2 and 3 clinical trials of India's first Covid-19 mRNA vaccine developed by Pune-based pharma major Gennova Biopharmaceuticals Ltd.
Gennova is developing the nation's first mRNA-based Covid-19 vaccine, which is being used by Moderna Inc and Pfizer Inc. These vaccines do not use a live virus to generate an immune response but prompt the human body to make a protein that triggers one.
Gennova, in collaboration with HDT Bio Corp, Seattle, US, has worked together to develop an mRNA vaccine since the first report of the SARS-CoV-2 genome was published. It submitted the proposed Phase 2 and 3 study of the vaccine HGCO19 (COVID-19 vaccine) in India, which was approved by the office of the DCGI, CDSCO.
The Phase 1 study data has been evaluated and Phase 2 will commence soon. The phase 2/3 study will be conducted in India at 10-15 sites in Phase 2 and 22-27 sites in Phase 3. Gennova plans to use the DBT-ICMR clinical trial network sites for this study.
The vaccine development programme was partly funded by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) under Ind CEPI back in June 2020. Later on, the DBT further supported the programme under the Mission Covid Suraksha.
mRNA vaccines are considered safe as mRNA is non-infectious, non-integrating in nature, and degraded by standard cellular mechanisms. They are highly efficacious because of their inherent capability of being translated into proteins in the cell, said the company.
