New Delhi: A vaccine for COVID-19 is expected only by early next year, a parliamentary panel was informed on Friday.
Presentations were given by the Department of Science and Technology, Department of Biotechnology, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the principal scientific adviser to the government before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology, Environment and Climate on the Centre’s COVID-19 preparedness.
The panel is chaired by senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, who, along with six other members, attended the meeting. Sources said it was conveyed to the panel that a vaccine for COVID-19 could be available only by early next year. This was the first meeting of the panel since the nationwide lockdown was imposed on March 25.
Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said the delay in the resumption of parliamentary committee meetings was forced by circumstances beyond control. “I am glad that the committees have resumed functioning, three and half months since the last sitting of Parliament on March 23rd,” he tweeted. (PTI)
