WHO identifies counterfeit versions of Covishield in India
Darpan News Desk IANS, 18 Aug, 2021 08:25 PM
The World Health Organisation (WHO) said it has identified counterfeit versions of India's primary Covid vaccine, Covishield, BBC reported.
The doses were seized by authorities in India and Africa between July and August, a WHO statement said.
It also said the vaccine's maker, the Serum Institute of India, confirmed that the doses were fake.
The WHO warned that fake vaccines "pose a serious risk to global public health".
It called for their removal from circulation.
Covishield is the Indian-made version of AstraZeneca's jab and is the most widely used vaccine in India with more than 486 million doses administered so far.
Serum had supplied millions of Covishield vaccines to countries in Asia, Africa and South America - as part of deals that were inked with various governments and the global Covax scheme for poorer countries.
India, which is the second worst-affected country in the world, aims to vaccinate all its people by the end of this year.
About 13 per cent of the population has been fully vaccinated since the beginning of the drive in January.
"I truly believe Gandhi ji needs to be reloaded. Gandhi ji 2.0 is what we need," said actor Shah Rukh Khan, standing beside Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Virat Kohli, meanwhile also appreciated the Netflix Documentary ' The Game Changers' in which retired English professional mixed martial artist travels the world on a quest for the truth about meat, protein, and strength.
Two Pakistani nationals, roaming suspiciously on the Indian side of the border here, have been apprehended by Border Security Force (BSF) personnel, officials said on Tuesday.
Actress Deepika Padukone along with world badminton champion P.V. Sindhu will be representing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's campaign 'Bharat Ki Laxmi', which celebrates womanhood.
