'Congratulations India!', PM Modi lauds approval of Serum Institute, Bharat Biotech's COVID-19 vaccines

It would make every Indian proud that the two vaccines that have been given emergency use approval are made in India! This shows the eagerness of our scientific community to fulfil the dream of an Aatmanirbhar Bharat, at the root of which is care and compassion.

The prime minister also wrote, "A decisive turning point to strengthen a spirited fight! DCGI granting approval to vaccines of Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech accelerates the road to a healthier and COVID-free nation. Congratulations India. Congratulations to our hardworking scientists and innovators".

A decisive turning point to strengthen a spirited fight!

DCGI granting approval to vaccines of @SerumInstIndia and @BharatBiotech accelerates the road to a healthier and COVID-free nation.

Congratulations India.

Congratulations to our hardworking scientists and innovators.

Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 3, 2021

PM Modi thanked doctors, medical staff, police personnel, sanitation workers and all corona warriors for their hard work during the coronavirus outbreak.

"We will remain eternally grateful to them for saving many lives," the Prime Minister said.

We reiterate our gratitude to doctors, medical staff, scientists, police personnel, sanitation workers and all Corona warriors for the outstanding work done, that too in adverse circumstances. We will remain eternally grateful to them for saving many lives.

Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 3, 2021

On Sunday, the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI)  gave its official nod to AstraZeneca-Oxford University's Covishield vaccine and Bharat Biotech's  Covaxin for immunisation against Covid-19 in India.

The Serum Institute of India, the world's largest vaccine manufacturer, has tied up with Oxford-AstraZeneca to manufacture Covishield.

The approval by the DCGI was given on the basis of recommendations submitted by a COVID-19 subject expert committee (SEC) of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO).

At this historic moment in India's medical history, SII Pune's CEO Adar Poonwalla also shared his happiness on Twitter. Poonwalla wrote, " Happy new year, everyone! All the risks @SerumInstIndia took with stockpiling the vaccine, have finally paid off. COVISHIELD, India's first COVID-19 vaccine is approved, safe, effective and ready to roll-out in the coming weeks".

Happy new year, everyone! All the risks @SerumInstIndia took with stockpiling the vaccine, have finally paid off. COVISHIELD, India's first COVID-19 vaccine is approved, safe, effective and ready to roll-out in the coming weeks. pic.twitter.com/TcKh4bZIKK

Adar Poonawalla (@adarpoonawalla) January 3, 2021