Jahnavi Sarma
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Written By: Jahnavi Sarma | Published : November 14, 2020 7:15 PM IST
2024 तक भारत के हर नागरिक तक पहुंचेगी कोरोना की वैक्सीन : एसआईआई
Serum Institute of India (SII) is ramping up production of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine, aiming to have 100 million doses ready by December for a vaccination drive that could begin across India that same month, Bloomberg reported. If final-stage clinical trial data show that AstraZeneca's vaccine candidate is giving effective protection from the virus, the Serum Institute of India -- which is partnered to produce at least one billion doses -- may get emergency authorisation from New Delhi by December, said Adar Poonawalla, Chief Executive Officer, SII, in an interview with Bloomberg.
That initial amount will go to India, Poonawalla said. Full approval early next year will allow distribution on a 50-50 basis between the south Asian nation and Covax, the World Health Organization-backed body that's purchasing shots for poor nations.
SII, which has tied up with five developers, has so far made 40 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine in the past two months and aims to start manufacturing Novavax's contender soon. "We were a bit concerned it was a big risk," said 39-year-old Poonawalla. But both AstraZeneca and Novavax's shots "are looking pretty good", Bloomberg reported. Poonawalla, is putting $250 million of his family's fortune into a bid to ramp up manufacturing capacity to 1 billion doses through 2021. One prominent vaccine candidate requiring ultra-cold storage is "a joke" that will not work for the developing world. Anyone who declares how long a vaccine will confer immunity is talking "nonsense." The world's entire population will not be immunised until 2024, he said, contrary to rosier predictions.
Gavi and the Gates Foundation want to assure vaccine supply at an affordable price, but Poonawalla's aim is to cover costs. The company has diverted capacity from existing vaccines and started work on a new production facility to be completed next year at its headquarters in Pune. The company has pledged to keep half of the vaccines it makes for use within India. It has already begun manufacturing the AstraZeneca vaccine. About 20 million doses have been made, and 10 times that amount is likely to be ready in the next four months, the report said.
And, by 2021, a new coronavirus vaccine may be licensed for public use every couple of months. This is, no doubt, good news. But what remains to be seen is which vaccine, if any, will offer long-term protection from the virus. As Poonawalla says, nobody wants a vaccine that is only going to protect you for a few months.
(With inputs from IANS)
