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With Covid-19 cases surging in countries including China, vaccine and drugmakers prepping their stocks, as the Indian government renews its push for vaccination and conducts mock drills at hospitals.
Between the two key suppliers of the Covid-19 vaccines in India, Serum Institute (Covishield) and Bharat Biotech (Covaxin), there is a ready inventory of about 7 crore doses, besides additional stock of the drug substance.
“Fresh stocks of Covaxin are available and ready for supplies. Bharat Biotech has more than 5 crore doses of Covaxin readily available in vials, and over 20 crore doses as drug substance,” a company spokesperson told businessline. Additional production capacity was available if required, the spokesperson added.
Bharat Biotech’s intranasal vaccine has recently been included in the CoWin app. The spokesperson added, there are “significant manufacturing capabilities for it across different locations in the country.”
Covovax as booster
Serum Institute is said to have stocks of about 2 crore doses, an industry insider said, and they too were ready to ramp-up, if required. The vaccine-maker has also submitted data on Covovax as a booster to the regulator, the source said, and has the capacity to supply once the requirement is clear. Covovax is American company Novavax’s vaccine, made by Serum Institute.
A government statement in October said, over 200 crore doses had already been provided to the States and Union Territories, and over 2 crore doses were available with them.
Today, over 220 crore doses have administered and Serum Institute’s Covishield accounts for over 174 crore, Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin accounts for over 36 crore and Biological E’s Corbevax accounts for over 7 crore doses.
An industry source said, Biological E had supplied 10 crore doses to the government up to August and adequate fresh stocks were available.
Corbevax’s rollout in children (12-14 years) was initiated in March 2022. It has also been approved as a heterologous Covid-19 booster dose for individuals aged 18 years and above after 6 months of administration of primary vaccination (two doses) of Covaxin or Covishield.
Meanwhile, the Centre has written to States to conduct mock drills to check on the availability of oxygen, medicines etc. In fact, the government has Russian vaccine Sputnik and Zydus Cadila’s needleless vaccine, also in its kitty. Besides this, anti-virals (molnupiravir, remdesivir, paxlovid) also have multiple producers in India, a source said, indicating a state of preparedness.
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