New Delhi: Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII) on Monday expressed hope at the possibility of Covid-19 vaccine—Covishield—receiving the regulatory approval in a “few days”, while emphasising that the company has a massive stockpile 40-50 million doses. It also said that Covishield rollout is expected in January 2021.
“We have 40-50 million doses of Covishield stockpiled. Once we get regulatory approvals in a few days, it will be down to the government to decide how much they can take and how fast. We will be producing around 300 million doses by July 2021,” Serum Institute CEO Adar Poonawalla told a press conference.
He added, “India is a part of COVAX. We will keep giving 50 per cent of everything we make to India and to COVAX at the same time. India has such a large population that we will probably end up giving the majority of those 50 million doses to India first.”
“Initially, in one or two months the offtake will be slow. Once the logistics and everything work out well we can expect the rollout for Covishield in January,” he said.
The drug maker has partnered with global pharma giant AstraZeneca and the Oxford University for making the vaccine and is conducting trials in India. Indian drug regulatory body is looking at the UK’s approval to this vaccine before giving nod for Emergency Use Authorization to its Indian counterpart developed by SII.
Asked whether there is any concern regarding Covid-19 vaccine getting approval, he said, “Regulators are evaluating the data…Lot of people keep raising issues. There are no concerns at all. 92 to 95 per cent vaccine efficiency is there. Emergency use of vaccine may come in the end of December or maybe in January in the UK and we are hoping the same in India as well. We should wait for some good news.”
He, however, mentioned that the first six months of 2021 will see a shortage of vaccines globally. “Nobody can help that. But we will see easing off by August-September 2021 as other vaccine manufactures also being able to supply,” he added.
‘COVAX’ was launched in April by the WHO, Gavi Vaccine Alliance and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations for a solution to accelerate the development and manufacture of Covid-19 vaccines and equitable access to them for people in all countries.
India currently has eight Covid-19 vaccine candidates, including three indigenous vaccines, under different stages of clinical trials which could be ready for authorisation in near future. Serum Institute-Oxford’s Covishield, Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin and Pfizer vaccine are in the fray for emergency use authorisation.
The Central government plans to vaccinate nearly 30 crore people in the first phase of drive. It will be offered to one crore healthcare workers, along with 2 crore frontline and essential workers and 27 crore elderly, mostly above the age of 50 years with comorbidities.