Homegrown Covaxin is one of the three vaccines India has cleared so far.
Highlights
- Last week, Bharat Biotech said it's looking at ramping up the production
- Bharat Biotech has been under fire for supply-related issues
- India is trying to step up vaccine drive as it fights a deadly 2nd wave
New shipments of Covaxin have reached 30 cities in the past 30 days, vaccine maker Bharat Biotech said today amid a shortage of doses even as India battles a debilitating second COVID-19 wave.
"COVAXIN reaches 30 cities within 30 day. All our employees are committed, working 24x7 thru lockdowns for the country's immunisation - pls send your prayers to their families, Some are still quarantined & off work (sic)," tweeted Suchitra Ella, co-founder and Joint Managing Director of the Hyderabad-based firm.
Last week, she said the company was looking to ramp up production, putting to use another plant in Gujarat. Besides, it plans to "produce 200 million doses of Covaxin per annum" in facilities already operational.
Bharat Biotech has been under fire of late over supply-related issues.
India is trying to step up its vaccination drive amid the second wave. Many states are now eyeing global tenders to meet shortfalls.
Delhi and Punjab, which tried importing vaccines, said their requests were turned down by firms like Pfizer and Moderna. These international pharma giants insisted on dealing directly with the Centre.
So far, the country's drug regulator has cleared two more vaccines apart from Covaxin, Covishield, and Russia's Sputnik V.
Bharat Biotech has said its Covaxin is effective against the aggressively virulent B.1.167 strain of coronavirus detected in India and the UK variant of B.1.1.7. It has also sought emergency use approval from the World Health Organisation, which has now sought more information on the vaccine.