HealthMin approves lab for testing, release of COVID-19 vaccines

The union health and family welfare (MoHFW) ministry on Monday approved one more lab for testing and release of Covid-19 vaccines. The initiative is aimed to fasten the speed of vaccination across the country. The ministry has authorised the National Institute of Animal Biotechnology (NIAB) as Central Drug Laboratory (CDL) for the same.

A meeting was organised with the Cabinet Secretary in November last year to discuss the distribution of vaccines in the country. In the meeting, the ministries and the departments such as Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Department of Science and Technology (DST) and Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) were asked to indicate to the health ministry if any of their labs should be converted for being used as CDL.

The DBT proposed two laboratories -- NIAB and National Centre for Cell Sciences (NCCS), Pune -- for this purpose. Moreover, funds from PM-CARES were allotted for upgrading the two laboratories.

The health ministry notified NIAB, Hyderabad as a CDL laboratory, in response to a draft notification prepared by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO). The MoHFW had already notified NCCS, Pune, as a CDL laboratory in June.

The notification of these two laboratories as CDL laboratories will improve vaccine production and will ultimately help to boost the country's vaccination campaign.

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