India wants Pfizer to do local study for approval: Official

New Delhi, Jan 14: Any vaccine maker, including Pfizer that has sought emergency-use authorisation for its COVID-19 shot in India, must conduct a local study to be considered for the immunisation programme, NITI Aayog member Dr V K Paul said.

Pfizer was the first company to seek emergency-use approval in India, but didn't attend meetings called by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation, Reuters reported.

Serum Institute of India, the local manufacturer of the vaccine developed by AstraZeneca Plc and Oxford University, did months-long local study on more than 1,500 people before seeking and receiving emergency approval on January 3.