Karnataka: COVAXIN manufacturing unit to be set up in Malur, state govt clears permits

With the Union Government providing the necessary aid to ramp up production of the indigenously developed COVID-19 vaccines, Karnataka Health Minister K Sudhakar has informed that the State and Centre are working in tandem to set up a Bharat Biotech facility near Bengaluru to speed up the production of COVAXIN. Speaking to news agency ANI, Sudhakar has said that the State government has provided land for the facility to be set up whereas the Centre has provided a financial grant for the same. On Wednesday, the Department of Biotechnology said that a financial grant of Rs 65 crore would be released to aid Bharat Biotech's new Bangalore facility in augmenting the COVID-19 vaccine production.

The Karnataka Health Minister has said that all necessary permits required to set up the facility are statutory and facilitated. The manufacturing facility will be set up in Malur. With the set up of a facility in Karnataka and three other plants, apart from the existing one at Hyderabad, the Union Ministry aims to increase the production of COVAXIN vials from the existing 1 crore doses in April to 6-7 crore doses in July and reach nearly 10 crores (100 million) doses per month by September this year. 

Meanwhile, K Sudhakar on Friday informed that Karnataka had received 75,000 doses of COVAXIN from the Union Government amid the claims of shortage. He said that so far Karnataka has received 1,10,49,470 doses of vaccines and thanked PM Narendra Modi and Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan. The state last replenished its vaccine stock on the night of May 8 with 3.5 lakh COVISHIELD doses. According to the Health Minister, Karnataka has 5,93,098 active cases while 14,74,678 people have recovered from COVID-19. 20,712 fatalities have been reported in the state. 

India To Get Vaccinations On-demand By August

As per sources, from August, the citizens of the country would not have to register in advance or stand in long queues, and would simply be able to go and get vaccinated. This is on account of the country aiming to have 8-10 vaccine companies at its disposal by August and to manufacture over 300 crore vaccine doses by the end of the year, a figure that is double the country population. 

The sources also added that along with vaccines, the supplies for Remdesivir have also been ramped up to 3.5 lakh vials per month, and the import of Tocilizumab has been increased from 1,700 to 30,000 per month. They stated there is no shortage of COVID medicines and diagnostic kits used for RTPCR, D-Dimer.

While the country is looking to ramp up production of Covishield and Covaxin, it is also in talks with companies like Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson and Johnson, and is expected to crack a deal and make the vaccines available in the next two months.