NEW DELHI: The Centre on Monday said its expert group on COVID vaccine administration was in touch with all vaccine manufacturers and developers at home and abroad and comments on any viable pacts can only be made after regulatory approvals for vaccine candidate have come.
Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan while responding to queries on whether India would engage Pfizer whose vaccine has shown 90 per cent efficacy said the country would need to consider logistical requirements, regulatory approval status among other things while engaging vaccine makers.
“This is a dynamic situation. If regulatory approval comes we will let you know,” he said on the Pfizer vaccine.
Overall the Health Ministry today said the pandemic was under control and if people follow COVID appropriate behaviour cases would continue to come down.
India’s active COVID case load dropped below 6 per cent today to 5.83 per cent while recovery rate rose to 92.69 per cent and case fatality rate remained stable at 1.48 per cent.
Bhushan said overall India’s new cases and new deaths per million were lower than the world average and India’s deaths and cases per million over the last week were much lower among other nations.
Last week world average for new cases per million was 482 as against India’s 235. Global average for new deaths last week was seven as against India’s three.
Meanwhile, India’s recoveries are above 79 lakh, the highest worldwide and its cumulative positivity rate has fallen to 7.18 per cent despite consistent rise in tests.
Of the new cases over 24 hours, 54 per cent have come from six states of Delhi, Bengal, Kerala, Maharashtra, Haryana and Tamil Nadu.
Of the 24 hour deaths, 62 per cent are from Maharashtra, Delhi, Bengal, UP, Kerala and Punjab.