Transparency critical in coronavirus vaccine trials: Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw

New Delhi, Oct 24: Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, MD and Chairperson of Bengaluru-based Biocon Ltd has on Friday said that she expects coronavirus vaccine to be available in India in the first quarter of 2021-22 but pointed out that delivering the vaccine to all Indians will be challenging.

"I expect by January...vaccines...like AstraZeneca's, or one of our own Indian vaccines, like the one by Bharat Biotech [could be approved]," she told livemint. "But these will be emergency use authorisation only," she added.

Shaw elaborated that the first mRNA vaccines will be approved by the end of 2021, but they are not going to be available in India as they need a -80 degree cold chain and that is not something which the country can handle.