Covaxin Has Reached '30 Cities In 30 Days': Bharat Biotech Amid Shortages

Homegrown Covaxin is one of the three vaccines India has cleared so far.

New Delhi:

Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin has reached 30 cities in 30 days, the vaccine maker said this morning in a tweet as shortage of doses continues to be a challenge in India’s fight against coronavirus. Delhi and Punjab have said their requests have been turned down by US firms – Pfizer and Moderna – and the international pharma giants have insisted on dealing directly with the central government.

“COVAXIN reaches 30 cities within 30 day. All our employees are committed, working 24×7 thru lockdowns for the country’s immunisation – pls send your prayers to their families, Some are still quarantined & off work (sic),” tweeted Suchitra Ella, the Co-Founder and Joint Managing Director of the Hyderabad-based firm.

Last week, Ms Ella had tweeted that Bharat Biotech is looking at ramping up the production of the homegrown Covaxin with another plant in Gujarat. The firm plans to “produce 200 million doses of Covaxin per annum” in the facilities already operational, a statement she shared on Twitter said.

Bharat Biotech has been under fire for supply related issues.

India is trying to step up the vaccination drive as it fights a deadly second Covid wave. Many states are looking at global tender route to meet the requirement.

The country’s drug regulator has so far cleared two more vaccines apart from Covaxin – Serum Institute of India’s Covishield, developed in partnership with the Oxford University and British firm AstraZeneca, and Russia’s Sputnik V.

Bharat Biotech has said its vaccine Covaxin is effective against the aggressively virulent B.1.167 strain of Covid detected in India and the UK variant of the virus B.1.1.7.

The vaccine maker has also sought emergency use approval from the World Health Organisation.  WHO, meanwhile, said more information is required for the process.