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It is not compulsory for vaccine manufacturers to reserve 25 per cent of the vaccines produced for private hospitals, said Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Tuesday in a written reply to Rajya Sabha.
“Over a period of one month we saw that not all of the 25 per cent of vaccines reserved for private hospitals was being utilised, which was at around 7-9 per cent, so we decided to take them in the government’s quota,” said Mandaviya.
He further added that this has been conveyed to all companies, and the government is procuring from them to vaccinate the people.
Vaccine output
Meanwhile, the monthly vaccine production capacity of Covishield is projected to be increased from 110 million doses per month to more than 120 million doses per month, and the production capacity of Covaxin is projected to be enhanced from 25 million doses per month to around 58 million doses per month, said Mandaviya.
Mission Covid Suraksha
Further, the Department of Biotechnology, under the Ministry of Science & Technology, has launched ‘Mission Covid Suraksha’, the Indian Covid-19 vaccine development mission. It is being implemented by Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), a PSU undertaking of the Department of Biotechnology.
The Minister said that under the mission, facility augmentation of Bharat Biotech, one State Public Sector Enterprise and two Central Public Sector Enterprises, including Haffkine Biopharmaceutical Corporation Ltd, Mumbai; Indian Immunologicals Limited, Hyderabad; and Bharat Immunologicals Biologicals Limited, Bulandshahr, for the production of Covaxin has been supported.
In addition, technology transfer of Covaxin production to Gujarat Covid Vaccine Consortium, including Hester Biosciences and OmniBRx Biotechnologies Pvt Ltd, led by Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre, Department of Science and Technology, Government of Gujarat, has also been facilitated, he added.
Financial assistance
The government has also extended financial assistance to one of the domestic manufacturers for ‘at-risk manufacturing’, advance payment against the supply orders placed with SII and Bharat Biotech, and streamlining of the regulatory norms for approval of vaccines.
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