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Modi to meet CMs tomorrow to review COVID-19 fight, vaccine distribution

Modi will meet chief ministers of eight states with high caseloads

modi-address-pti (File) Narendra Modi | PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to hold a virtual meeting with chief ministers on Tuesday to review the COVID-19 situation. Modi is also expected to review the capacity of states to distribute COVID-19 vaccines.

Modi is expected to hold two back-to-back meetings, one with chief ministers of eight states with high caseloads and another with states and Union territories to discuss vaccine distribution strategy, sources said.

The prime minister, till now, has held several virtual meetings with states over the coronavirus situation.

While the national daily COVID-19 case count had remained below 50,000 for some time, several urban centres have witnessed a surge, resulting in enforcement of several measures, including curfews in some cities.

The meeting to review vaccine distribution comes as five vaccine candidates are in advanced stages of development in India, out of which four are in Phase II/III and one is in Phase-I/II trials.

The Serum Institute of India is conducting the phase-three trial of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, while Bharat Biotech and ICMR have already started the phase-three trail of the indigenously developed COVAXIN jab.

An indigenously developed vaccine by Zydus Cadila has completed phase-two clinical trial in the country. Dr Reddy's Laboratories will soon start combined phase two and three trials of the Russian COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik V in India.

Meanwhile, the government is exploring the modalities of emergency authorisation and usage of anti-coronavirus vaccines pending completion of phase-three clinical trial and regular licensure.

The issue of advance purchase commitment for vaccines, including pricing, was discussed in a recent meeting attended by NITI Aayog Member (Health) Vinod Paul, Principal Scientific Adviser to the government K. Vijay Raghavan and Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan.

"It was decided that the PMO-constituted Vaccine Task Force (VTF) will lay down the principles for emergency use authorisation while the National Expert Group On Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 (NEGVAC) should take the lead in setting the principles for advance market commitment, including vaccine pricing," a source said.

(With PTI inputs)

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