India sets up high-level task force to develop vaccine for COVID-19 pandemic

Government of India formed a high-level task force to research on coronavirus and develop a vaccine. The task force will work along with the international community on the vaccine development process for coronavirus.

High-level taskforce:
♦ The high-level task force will be co-chaired by Member, NITI Aayog, and Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, Professor K Vijay Raghavan. 
♦ The central coordinating authority of the task force is the Department of Biotechnology (DBT). 
♦ The task force is to set up a process for vaccine development. 
♦ It will make a list of national and international organizations working on vaccine development. DBT will monitor the progress of research works and also facilitate the process.
♦ The task force will create clinical cohorts that focus on long term follow-up of people for a better understanding of the disease. It will also collect bio-specimens which will form the basis for further trials of drugs and vaccines. This is different from sample testing protocols.
♦ Over 70 clinical trials are taking place all over the world to find a vaccine for coronavirus. At least 5 have entered the human trial stage. Indian companies, including the Serum Institute, Zydus Cadila, Bharat Biotech and Biological E are also working on the vaccine, but they are in the preclinical stage.