Moderna vaccine may reach India this week: Report

Moderna's mRNA Covid vaccine is likely to reach India this week said news agency ANI citing sources on Monday. As per reports, the vaccine may reach India by July 15 for administration.

Mumbai-based Cipla has been recently granted permission to import Moderna vaccine for restricted emergency use.

After Covaxin, Covishield and Sputnik, Moderna vaccine will be fourth Covid-19 jab available in India.

Moderna's vaccine is being widely used in several regions including in Europe and the USA. The vaccine requires cold storage. 

Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) on June 1 decided to waive off batch testing for foreign manufactured vaccines that have been approved by drug regulators such as UK MHRA, US FDA or the WHO.

India`s cumulative active tally of COVID-19 cases surged to 4,82,071 on Monday with 39,796 new infections reported in the last 24 hours, informed the Union Health Ministry.The country continues to witness a gradual decline in COVID-19 cases as it has registered less than 40,000 cases again since June 29.

On June 29, India registered 37,566 new COVID-19 cases and 907 deaths.As per the health bulletin issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare today, the national recovery rate now stands at 97.11 per cent and this is the ninth consecutive day when the country recorded less than 50,000 daily coronavirus cases.

With 42,352 recoveries in the last 24 hours, daily recoveries continued to outnumber the daily new cases for the 53rd consecutive day, it said.The weekly positivity rate is currently at 2.40 per cent, while the daily positivity rate is at 2.61 per cent.

(With inputs from agencies)