The monthly production capacity of Bharat Biotech's Covaxin is expected to increase to 58 million doses by December, while that of Serum Institute of India's Covishield is expected to increase to 120 million doses, the Centre informed the Rajya Sabha in response to a query on Tuesday, 3 August.
Currently, about 25 crore doses of Covaxin and 110 million doses of SII's COVID-19 vaccine are produced per month.
"As communicated by the manufacturers, 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 increased from 25 Million doses per month to around 58 Million doses per month."Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
The Department of Biotechnology under the Ministry of Science & Technology has launched ‘Mission COVID Suraksha- the Indian COVID-19 Vaccine Development Mission,’ the response submitted by Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya indicated.
Under the mission, the facility augmentation of Bharat Biotech , one State Public Sector Enterprise, and two Central Public Sector Enterprises (PSEs) – including Haffkine Biopharmaceutical Corporation Ltd, Mumbai; Indian Immunologicals Limited (IIL), Hyderabad; and Bharat Immunologicals Biologicals Limited (BIBCOL), Bulandshahr – have been supported in order for the production of Covaxin.
"In addition, Technology transfer of Covaxin production to Gujarat COVID Vaccine Consortium (GCVC), including Hester Biosciences and OmniBRx Biotechnologies Pvt Ltd, led by Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC), Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of Gujarat has also been facilitated," the ministry's response said.
The government has also extended financial assistance to one of the domestic manufacturers for ‘at-risk manufacturing’, made an advance payment against the supply orders placed with Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech, in addition to streamlining of regulatory norms for approval of vaccines, the reply noted.
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