Vaccine-deficient India is pinning hopes on Novavax’s Covid-19 jab. The Government on Tuesday pointed out that the recently declared efficacy data of vaccine by the US-based company in a large trial is promising and that the clinical trials being conducted are in an advanced stage of completion in the country.

“The Serum Institute of India (SII) is preparing to produce Novavax’s Covid-19 vaccine in the country,” Dr VK Paul, Niti Aayog member (Health) said at a press briefing on Tuesday.

“What we’re learning from data available in the public domain is that this vaccine is very safe and highly effective. It’ll be produced in India,” said Dr Paul, adding that there will be some gap in production (of Novavax vaccine) for a while. “I am also hoping they would also start trials on children too,” Dr Paul said. Covaxin from the stable of Bharat Biotech is already being tried on children.

Novavax’s vaccine candidate has partnered with the Pune-based vaccine manufacturer to produce 1.1 billion doses in India.

The two-shot vaccine was about 90% effective overall, and preliminary data showed it was safe, the American company said. That would put the vaccine on par with Pfizer’s and Moderna’s. Currently, under India’s nationwide vaccination programme, Covishield and Covaxin are being provided to the citizens with Sputnik also making an entry recently.

Novavax’s Covid-19 vaccine provides 100 per cent protection against moderate and severe symptoms of the disease and 90.4 per cent efficacy overall in phase 3 trials, the company claimed.