Bharat Biotech's Covid vaccine receives govt grant to scale production to 10cr doses

The Union government on April 16 has provided a grant of Rs 65 crores to COVAXIN manufacturer Bharat Biotech. Union Minister for Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan announced the news on Twitter. The decision comes as a way to enhance the production capacity of the Bharat Biotech at their new Bengaluru facility. The government expects the production of the COVAXIN vaccine to reach from 1 crore to 10 crore doses by September. 

Grants provided to boost vaccine production

The central government besides Bharat Biotech will provide financial support to three other state-run pharmaceutical companies to manufacture vaccines. Maharashtra pharmaceutical company Haffkine Biopharmaceutical Corporation Ltd, Hyderabad based company Indian Immunologicals Limited and Bharat Immunologicals and Biologicals Limited, Bulandshahr too have been given grants to enhance their production capacity. The pharmaceutical company Haffkine will produce 20 million doses per month within six months. Indian Immunologicals Limited and Biologicals Limited, Bulandshahr will produce 10-15 million doses per month by Aug-Sep 2021.

Most states have exhausted their stock of  COVAXIN, while the Centre assures that more doses are in pipeline. Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on April 14 said that there is no shortage of vaccines in the country at present. Some opposition-ruled states such as Maharashtra had raised concern over depleting stock of vaccine doses in the last few days. Maintaining that the Centre was supplying adequate vaccine doses to states, the Union Health Minister maintained that it was the latter's job to meticulously plan so that all vaccination centres under their jurisdiction have enough stock in a time-bound manner. 

Dr Harsh Vardhan remarked, "I have said many times that there is no shortage of vaccines in India. The Indian government gives vaccines to all states. It is the responsibility of the states to supply adequate vaccine stock to the vaccination centres in a time-bound manner with meticulous planning and monitor this process."

(Image Credits: PTI)

Bharat Biotech's Covid vaccine receives govt grant to scale production to 10cr doses