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.
A huge milestone for an Indian Air Force member. Dalip Singh Majithia, celebrated his 100th birthday on Monday making him the oldest living IAF fighter pilot.
Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava with the Ministry of External Affiars in India has started a protest with the Pakistan High Commission over alleged attempts to convert a Pakistant gurdwara into a mosque.
After UK broke the news that they have a vaccine that can trigger an immune response, India isn't far behind. India's first coronavirus vaccine COVAXIN human trials are in full swing Monday at the All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS), Delhi after its Ethics Committee gave it the go ahead.
