SII seeks approval for Covishield vaccine as booster dose amid Omicron variant concerns

ANI
02 Dec 2021, 14:55 GMT+10

By Shalini BhardwajNew Delhi [India], December 2 (ANI): The Serum Institute of India (SII) has sought India's drug regulator's approval for the Covishield vaccine as a booster dose citing adequate stock of the vaccine in the country, officials informed ANI on Thursday.

According to the officials, the demand has been made due to the emergence of a new coronavirus variant 'Omicron'.

The Serum Institute of India is the first Indian company to seek approval for the COVID-19 booster dose.

The Union government has also informed the Parliament that the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization and National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 are considering scientific evidence on the booster dose.

States like Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka and Kerala have also urged the Central government for booster dose amid another variant of concern, Omicron.

Recently, in an interview with a media organisation, Adar Poonawalla, the Chief Executive Officer of SII said that the scientists at Oxford may come out with a new vaccine that would act as a booster in six months' time against this new variant.

The new Omicron variant was first reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) by South Africa on November 24. According to the WHO, its high number of mutations in spike protein could make it more transmissible than all previous strains. South African medical officials have reported the variant was found in fully vaccinated individuals and the cases are mild. (ANI)

Watch latest videos

News RELEASES

Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Greek Herald.

More Information

1 ℃

null in Dekelia

International Business

Section

Casino plans to build in UAE in Gulf region

RAS AL-KHAIMAH, UAE: Ras al-Khaimah, one of the UAE's seven emirates, has announced the signing of a multibillion-dollar agreement with ...

Reducing restrictions, UK ends most testing on those entering country

LONDON, England: Visiting the UK is about to get easier for both vaccinated and unvaccinated travelers.Beginning February 11, fully vaccinated ...

Toyota says demand causing four-year wait for Japanese Land Cruisers

TOKYO, Japan: Toyota, the world's largest carmaker, has warned Japanese buyers of its new Land Cruiser SUV that they will ...

Airbus cancels Qatar Airways order for 50 aircraft

PARIS, France: European aircraft manufacturer Airbus has canceled a multi-billion dollar order by Qatar Airways for 50 of its single-aisle ...

Chevron, Total to end business ties with Myanmar

PARIS, France: Two of the largest energy companies have announced that they are leaving Myanmar, citing human rights abuses and ...

Pakistan's unabated borrowing poses economic challenges, warns UNDP

Islamabad [Pakistan], January 28 (ANI): Providing an overview of Pakistan's policy priorities, regulatory environment, and its private sector development, a ...