More COVID-19 vaccines to be introduced in India: Health Minister

India`s Health Minister Harsh Vardhan displays a vial of a Covid-19 coronavirus vaccine at the All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) in New Delhi. Pic/AFP

Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said on Wednesday that more COVID-19 vaccines are on their way to be introduced in India after the country launched the world's biggest vaccination drive with two made-in-India shots earlier this month.

Addressing an online 'Future Investment Initiative' event, Mr Vardhan said it is evident that the current crisis will reshape the world as one knew.

"Mankind will only remember one thing from the year 2020 that is the deadly virus that created devastation across the world. But at the same time, it will also be remembered how science and healthcare sectors came to the rescue in a record time," he said.

The health minister said the pandemic has also resulted in heightened nationalism, but it has also shown us how important global cooperation is for everyone.

Also, never before innovation and technology were so relevant to our lives, he said.

Mr Vardhan said the pandemic also forced everyone to come out of denial regarding damages to the environment.

"The lesson to humankind is very clear that health is more important than anything else. We never earlier realised how global cooperation is important for all of us. So, we must realise that the rewards must be distributed everywhere, regardless of when it is developed," he added.

Another impact of the pandemic has been a rapid expansion of telemedicine facilities and this crisis has given rise to a large number of health startups, he said.

At the same time, it also calls for a greater security net against medical expenses, he said.

The minister said India launched the world's largest vaccination drive on January 16 with two vaccines made in India and more are in progress to be introduced soon.

He also assured the investors that the pace of progress in India will continue on an upward trajectory.

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