Vaccine Shortage: SII To Ramp Up Production To 10 Cr Doses By Aug, Bharat Biotech Promises 7.8 Cr Jabs

Official sources close to this development on Wednesday said the Union Health Ministry and the Drugs Controller General of India had sought from both Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech and Pune-based Serum Institute of India their production plan for the next four months beginning June.

People wearing protective gears wait to receive a dose of Covid-19 vaccine. (File Photo/ Getty)

New Delhi: With several states facing vaccine shortage amid the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech have submitted their production plan for the next four months to Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government and informed they can raise it up to 10 crore and 7.8 crore doses respectively by August.

Official sources close to this development on Wednesday said the Union Health Ministry and the Drugs Controller General of India had sought from both Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech and Pune-based Serum Institute of India their production plan for the next four months beginning June.

This comes as Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin and Oxford-AstraZeneca’s Covishield being manufactured by the Serum Institute are presently being used in the country’s inoculation drive against Covid-19.

READ: MP: Cases Of Mucormycosis Surge Among Covid Patients; Centre Ramps Up Availability Of Black Fungus Drug

Dr V Krishna Mohan, the Whole-time Director of Bharat Biotech, is learnt to have conveyed to the government that the production of Covaxin would be raised to 3.32 crore in July, and to 7.82 crore in August which will be maintained in September too, PTI reported.

Official sources said Serum Institute of India, Government and Regulatory Affairs Director, Prakash Kumar Singh, has also assured the government that production of Covishield would be ramped up to 10 crore doses each in August and will be maintained at that level in September.