Bhubaneswar: In ongoing inoculation drive against Coronavirus in the country, another COVID vaccine is likely to be launched by June this year.

It came to fore after the Serum Institute of India (SII) CEO Adar Poonawalla today informed that the firm has applied for trials of another COVID-19 vaccine in partnership with Novavax in India.

The announcement came a day after American company Novavax claimed that its vaccine was COVOVAX was 89.3 percent effective in protecting humans from Coronavirus. In the trial conducted in the United Kingdom, it was found that the vaccine is effective against the COVID new strain discovered in the country.

It is pertinent to mention that India has approved two vaccines -- SII's Covishield and Bharat Biotech's Covaxin’ -- for vaccination in the country. Total 30 crore beneficiaries including healthcare workers will be administered the vaccines in first phase of the massive immunisation programme in the country.