New Delhi, February 3: In a major development, Serum Institute of India (SII) will supply 1.1 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines developed by AstraZeneca and Novavax to the COVAX vaccine scheme of the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF). This is being done as part of a new long-term deal, UNICEF chief Henrietta Fore said on Wednesday. The head of the UN Children's Fund added saying that the COVID-19 vaccine shots would be  delivered over a number of years at a minimal cost. UNICEF is a United Nations agency responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to children worldwide.

During a briefing, the UNICEF chief said that the shots would be delivered over a number of years at the cost of about $3 per dose. This would be applicable for the low and middle-income countries across the world.  Fore added sayin that the COVID-19 shots which will be administered to this group across the globe will be produced by  Serum Institute of India (SII) under a technology transfer agreement. Covishield To Be Sold at Rs 1,000 in Private Markets, Special Price of Rs 200 Given Only to GoI for First 100 Mn Doses, Says Adar Poonawalla.

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In January, SII CEO Adar Poonawalla announced his pharma's plan to launch its new vaccine, Covovax, by June this year. He said that that its partnership for a COVID-19 vaccine with Novavax has shown excellent efficacy results, adding that the new vaccine shall be launched under the brand name of Covovax, which SII is manufacturing in partnership with Novovax.

The Pune-based global vaccine giant has sought permission from the DCGI to start domestic trials of the new product.  "We have applied for starting trials in India. Hope to launch Covocax by June 2021," Poonawalla said in a tweet.

In India, the first COVID-19 vaccination drive was launched on January 16. While so far only healthcare workers were getting inoculated, now frontline workers will also start getting the doses from the first week of February.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 03, 2021 07:55 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).