Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine likely to be available in India by July - price and other details here

In some good news, the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Johnson and Johnson is likely to be available in India by July this year, media reports suggested on Saturday. However, the vaccines will be limited to a few thousand doses initially and the price will be USD 25 (about Rs 1,850) per shot in India. 

The Association of Healthcare Providers (India) is in talks with Johnson and Johnson and has begun the process to privately procure the vaccine directly from the US-based manufacturer. The COVID-19 vaccine is expected to be cleared for use in India in the coming months.

The viral vector J&J vaccine does not need to be stored in frozen temperatures and is suitable for a country like India, where healthcare infrastructure for the storage of vaccines in sub-zero temperatures in tier-2 regions and beyond is impossible.

Johnson and Johnson already started talks with the Central government to authenticate its manufacturing process and specifications in the country. In April this year, the US pharmaceutical major had approached the Centre with the objective of starting a clinical bridging study in India. 

However, under the government's new rules, vaccines approved by US drug regulators do not need to conduct bridging trials in India.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the efficacy of the vaccine developed by Johnson and Johnson is 66.3% for mild to moderate COVID-19 and 76.3% for severe to critical infection.