Covaxin Pvt institutions can come forward for Covid19 vaccine production: Centre
New Delhi/IBNS: Private firms can come forward to scale up India's vaccine production and the matter is being considered, Niti Aayog (health) member Dr VK Paul said on Saturday, adding that such decisions involving transfer of technology and knowledge entail a long process.
Now, Covaxin will be manufactured by Hyderabad's Indian Immunologicals Limited, Biologicals Corporation, Uttar Pradesh's Bharat Immunologicals and Mumbai's Haffkine Institute for Training, Research and Testing.
Government has estimated production of 13 crore doses of Covaxin per month, once these entities start production.
Out of the estimated production, Bharat Biotech will produce 10 crore, while the three manufacturers will produce one crore doses each.
"These tie-ups are not done over a week. That's not how complex technologies are transferred. There was an assessment of whether the vaccine can be made there. Following that there was training, fund allocation and then there was an agreement to formalise the entire arrangement," Dr Paul said, reported Hindustan Times.
Dr Paul asserted that Covaxin can't be manufactured anywhere as the vaccine-making process deals with live virus.
"This can be done only in very sophisticated, biological safety level 3 labs so that the virus can not affect the scientists. A garment factory can not start producing the vaccine from tomorrow," Dr Paul, added.
Statements that discourage country's scientific institutions should not be indulged, Dr Paul said, emphasising that the Central government is partnering with all institutions who are manufacturing the vaccine.
"The two vaccine makers consider us as partners. They have honoured their contracts and made vaccines for the country," he stated, reported HT.
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