Vaccine production at 135 million doses a month, will rise: Government

The government on Tuesday said that at the current time, the average monthly production capacity of Covishield by Serum Institute of India (SII) is 110 million doses, and of Covaxin by Bharat Biotech is 25 million doses. It said that it has received 360 million doses of Covishield and 54.5 million doses of Covaxin up to July 16.

“The procurement of Covid-19 vaccines by the government of India, state government and private hospitals is 36.01 crore in respect of Covishield and 5.45 crore in respect of Covaxin from January 2021 to July 16, 2021,” it said, in a reply to the Parliament. “The procurement process of Covid-19 vaccines has adequate in-built mechanisms of financial penalty in case of delay in delivery of vaccines by the manufacturers,” it said.

The government also said that production capacity will be increased: SII expects that Covishield production will go up to more than 120 million doses per month, while Covaxin production will increase from 25 million to 58 million doses per month.

It added that operational disruptions at Bharat Biotech’s facility in Bengaluru had delayed the planned increase in capacity.

Niti Aayog member VK Paul explained, “While the Ankleshwar plant has been working properly, the Bengaluru plant faced certain operation difficulties which have now been sorted out.”

Based on earlier projections, the government had expected to receive 120 million doses of SII’s Covishield and 100 million doses of Covaxin in July, produced at multiple facilities, including Indian Immunologicals, a National Dairy Development Board unit as well as Bharat Biotech’s plants. “Right now, Bharat Biotech is producing 3-4 crore doses of Covaxin. They have been ramping up production and by next month we expect 10 crore doses of Covaxin only,” a senior government official told ET in June.