<span style="color: #222222;">Central Drugs Standard Control Organization has granted test license permission for manufacture of Covid-19 vaccine for preclinical test and examination to seven companies in India. This was stated by the Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey today in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.<br />''<br />''He said, ICMR and Serum Institute of India have partnered for clinical development of two global vaccine candidates. He informed that a vaccine developed by University of Oxford is undergoing phase II and III bridging studies by ICMR at 14 clinical trial sites. In addition, a trial for a vaccine developed by Novavax from the USA will be initiated in the second half of October after the vaccine is manufactured by SII.<br />''<br />''The Minister said, more than 30 vaccine candidates supported by the Department of Biotechnology are in different stages of development. He said, a National Expert Group on Covid-19 vaccine has been constituted to guide the government. He said, government and industry are trying their best to make available a safe and effective vaccine for Covid-19 at the earliest. He informed that the Indian Council of Medical Research is facilitating various studies related to Covid-19 vaccine.<br />''<br />''Mr. Choubey said that Electronic Vaccine Intelligence Network is being enhanced for distribution of Covid vaccine at the time of availability. He said, Electronic Vaccine Intelligence Network is an internet based digital system to track routine immunization, vaccine stocks and storage temperature in about 25 thousand dedicated cold chain storage points across the country.</span><br />