Viral / WhatsApp message claiming Corona Vaccine has been launched in India fake: Govt

New Delhi: A message claiming that a vaccine against coronavirus or COVID-19 has been launched in India is going viral on WhatsApp. The viral message contains a link and asks readers to download "Vaccine App" to register for vaccination. The government on Wednesday termed the message fake and clarified that no coronavirus vaccine has been launched in the country.

"Corona Vaccine Launched in India. Register your number now and apply for vaccine today. Download vaccine app and apply now (sic)," reads the viral message on WhatsApp. "This claim is fake. Neither coronavirus vaccine nor vaccine app has been launched," PIB Fact Check, a dedicated platform that counters misinformation related to government schemes and policies, tweeted.

A #WhatsApp forward is claiming that a 'Corona Vaccine' has been launched in India and people have to register for it by downloading a 'Vaccine App.'#PIBFactCheck: This Claim is #Fake. No #COVID19 vaccine has been launched in the country yet. pic.twitter.com/VCt1tylmHc

— PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) November 18, 2020

India is currently conducting clinical trials of various COVID-19 vaccines- developed at home as well as outside the country- under different phases. But, no vaccine has been officially approved for use or launched in the country. Pune-based Serum Institute of India will manufacture Covishield, developed by Oxford University and pharma giant AstraZeneca. The vaccine is in the final stage of trials.

Hyderabad-based pharma giant Dr Reddy’s Laboratories has collaborated with the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) to conduct clinical trials of the Sputnik V vaccine and its distribution in India. Covaxin is developed in India by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Bharat Biotech. Another indigenous vaccine developed by Gujarat-based pharma giant Zydus Cadila Ltd is in the second phase of the clinical trials.