Serum Institute of India (SII) will begin supplying 200 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine Covishield from October. Adar Poonawalla, CEO of SII, mentioned on Friday that his firm had ramped up capacity to 160 million doses this month and this would go up to 200 million doses per month from October. Poonawalla mentioned his firm had currently supplied a significant share of the vaccines administered in the nation. The nation has administered 700 million doses of the Covishield vaccine from January till date.
Poonawalla was hopeful that the nation would reach the target of vaccinating every person. “We are going to supply 200 million doses a month from October. Bharat Biotech is scaling up. Zydus will also be contributing. So we can cover a large part of the Indian population,” Poonawalla mentioned.
While export of Covid-19 vaccines is restricted at the moment, Poonawalla expects this to ease in the next couple of months. There was more than sufficient vaccine stock obtainable in the nation with SII scaling up and Bharat Biotech also growing vaccine supplies. He expects easing of export restrictions right after two months, based on whether or not there would be a third and fourth wave. The government was understandably cautious about this and the firm would go by what the government and regulators make a decision.
The nation is far greater ready than any other to manage the next wave, with government growing the price of vaccination and by finish of the year the nation would be in a fantastic position, Poonawalla mentioned.
On the progress of Novavax Covid-19 vaccine production, Poonawalla mentioned they would look at production ramp only up right after getting licenses and would not be stock piling also a lot of this vaccine. The trials on children for the Novavax vaccine has began. This trial will be carried out in children up to 3 years age and outcomes would take 3 to 4 months, he mentioned.