India to clear jabs okayed in US, UK, Europe & Japan

India will grant emergency use authorisation to Covid-19 vaccines that have received similar approval in the US, UK, Europe and Japan, opening up the prospect of a dramatic increase in availability as the country struggles with burgeoning infections amid reports of shortages. Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer and Moderna were specifically invited to seek immediate approval for such use in India.
The country has administered more than 110 million doses in the three months since India’s public immunisation.“The decision would compress the timelines considerably — it is a very liberal regulatory step which will increase the access to vaccines,” VK Paul, Niti Aayog member, health, told reporters. “We hope and we invite the vaccine makers such as Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson and others... to be ready to come to India as early as possible.”