The country’s three leading Covid-19 vaccine makers — Bharat Biotech, Biological E and Serum Institute of India (SII) — have a cumulative stock of 270 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines to meet the demand for booster shots in the country, company officials told FE. The companies are also prepared to ramp up production as soon as they get a clear picture of the emerging demand.
With the rise in Covid-19 cases across the world, the government is encouraging people to get their booster shots to protect them from this wave. To date, only 222 million precautionary doses have been administered compared with 1.02 billion of the first dose of Covid-19 vaccine jabs given in the country.
Biological E has the largest stockpile of 200 million vaccines, followed by Bharat Biotech’s 50 million Covaxin doses, while SII has in stock 20 million doses.
Dr Vikram Paradkar, executive vice-president (manufacturing), Biological E, said the company has produced about 300 million doses of Corbevax vaccine as per the manufacturing commitment given to the government and had supplied 100 million doses. “Currently, we approximately have 200 million doses that are fully tested and ready for supply, as and when we receive orders. Additionally, we manufactured 200 million doses equivalent of the antigen which will help us ramp the manufacturing of the Corbevax finished product quickly,” Paradkar said.
Biological E would be able to supply approximately 100 million doses of Corbevax a month and could begin additional vaccine supplies within eight weeks of future orders.
Bharat Biotech said it has more than 50 million doses of Covaxin ready and over 200 million doses of drug substance available with them. It also has additional production capacity readily available to meet the demand. Bharat Biotech is also ready with its nasal vaccine dose that has been approved to be used as a booster dose.
SII, which has stopped manufacturing the Covishield Covid-19 vaccine, still has 20 million doses in stock. CEO Adar Poonawalla had earlier said nearly 100 million doses of the vaccine had expired as there was no demand for booster doses.
With concerns over the rise in cases and in anticipation of a rise in demand for precautionary doses, Poonawalla is now awaiting regulatory approval for the Covovax vaccine as a booster dose. The company has submitted all necessary data to the drug regulator. SII is also working on the Codagenix nasal Covid vaccine trials which have reached an advanced stage.