India Boosts Arsenal Against COVID-19 With Merck Pill, 2 More Vaccines

India Boosts Arsenal Against COVID-19 With Merck Pill, 2 More Vaccines
A man wearing a Santa Claus costume helps an auto rickshaw driver to wear a protective face mask as he distributes the masks for free during the ongoing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, in Ahmedabad, India, on Dec. 24, 2021. Amit Dave/Reuters
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BENGALURU—India has approved Merck’s COVID-19 pill and two more vaccines for emergency use as the world’s second-most populous country braces for a possible spike in coronavirus cases due to the rapidly spreading Omicron variant.

Asia’s third-largest economy has already said it will allow COVID-19 booster shots for some of its population as some Indian states logged an uptick in Omicron cases.