Bharat Biotech commences Covaxin exports; more countries to avail India-made jabs from Dec

Bharat Biotech on Monday announced that it had commenced the exports of its COVID-19 vaccine, Covaxin. In a statement, the Hyderabad-headquartered biotech company said that the long-pending export orders of India-made Coronavirus vaccine “have been executed during November” and added that it would be expanded during the upcoming months.

The Indian biotech company noted that since the number of countries granting the emergency use approvals for Covaxin is growing, the exports to the additional countries will also commence from December. Bharat Biotech also expressed gratitude to the Government of India for the approval of exports. It added, “Covaxin will now become an integral part of the global fight against this Pandemic.”

The company statement reads, “Bharat Biotech has commenced exports of Covaxin. Long pending export orders have been executed during November, to be further expanded during the following months. With the number of countries that have granted emergency use approvals for Covaxin increasing, exports to additional countries will also commence from December.”

Bharat biotech announced the commencement of Covaxin exports just days after Dr Krishna Ella, Chairman & Managing Director of Bharat Biotech International Limited revealed the details of manufacturing of the vaccine during Republic India Economic Summit 2021. He said that developing the Coronavirus vaccine was a competition with the virus and not with other countries.

Ella was concerned about employees while manufacturing Covaxin

According to Ella, COVID-19 vaccines can not be considered just as a medical remedy for health care but also national security with the emergence of the pandemic. While citing the differences between Coronavirus and viruses that Bharat Biotech has worked on earlier, he said that Chikungunya and Zika are less pathogenic. During Republic’s India Economic Summit 2021, Ella admitted that it was scary to work on the COVID-19 vaccine as the disease is transmitted directly and there was also no vaccine to reduce the risks.

Dr Ella further stated that "the factors that concerned the company throughout the journey of manufacturing Covaxin were our employees, can we deliver this vaccine with country's prestige at the view, can we put science where the western world shouldn't criticize that we are less science as a country.”

110 nations recognise India's Covaxin certificates

As of 18 November, 110 nations recognise the certificates of India’s indigenously produced COIVID-18 vaccine, Covaxin and Covishield. According to sources, more than a hundred nations have agreed to mutually accept the vaccination certificates including the ones that recognise Indian vaccination certificates of travellers completely vaccinated with Covishield/WHO approved/nationally approved COVID vaccine.

(IMAGE: Shutterstock/Representative)