Covid-19 will soon be past episode of 21st century: Harsh Vardhan

New Delhi: The rapidness at which coronavirus vaccines are being developed will have a significant effect on new technologies that will help in faster drug discoveries, lowering the cost and making it more affordable for the poor, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said.

The process, which used to take 10 years to produce vaccines, is now done in almost 10 months, Vardhan said.

The health minister saluted the millions of frontline workers and elaborated India's strategy to contain the virus.

"It is not the first one and definitely not the last one. But this Covid-19 will soon be a past episode of the 21st century. Our treatment protocol for Covid patients is well defined now," Vardhan said.

"Fewer and fewer people infected are dying. We will have vaccines available very soon and the cases will significantly go down in the next few months," he said.

"The process that used to take 10 years, now produces vaccines almost in 10 months -- developed, tested, and soon will be available in the market," he added..