Pradeep Mehrotra 
While Maharashtra battles with Corona Crisis and Sushant case has drawn the media attention to itself, a breeze of fresh air has come in from Pune which is important not only for this state but for our whole country and beyond.
News Agency IANS quoting Bernstein Research says that India is well on its course to have an approved vaccine within first quarter of calendar year 2021.and Pune based Serum Institute of India which is the largest manufacturer of vaccines, is well placed to deliver the first vaccine.
As it is known now , Serum Institute of India has recently begun human trials of the Oxford University’s Covid-19 vaccine at the city based Bharati Vidyapeeth Medical College. These are a part of Phase 2 trial.
India has access to two of the candidates who are close to an approval of vaccine and these are AZ/Oxford’s viral vector vaccine and Novavax’s protein sub-unit which also has a contact with SII. But Bernstein also mentions the factors of ."approval timing, capacities and pricing.”
A welcome event happened in Pune on Friday when DY Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis were seen together on the inaugural function of a Covid-19 hospital in Baner area of Pune.
The Bernstein report says SII could could supply 600 million doses in 2021 and 1 billion doses in 2022, out of which 400 to 500 million "should be available in India in 2021."
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