The Centre explains why vaccine production cannot be ramped up overnight. The Union health ministry said on Friday that vaccine production takes time and that even if it is increased, it will not result in an immediate increase in supply because this is not an overnight process. According to the Centre, a vaccine is a biological product of medical importance that requires time for harvesting and quality testing. The increase in manufacturing must also be guided, as the end product must be safe, according to the ministry, which defended its vaccination strategy.
The statement comes after Congressman Rahul Gandhi questioned the vaccination rate and stated that there is no vaccination strategy. At the current rate, it will take another three years to vaccinate the entire population, and by that time, India will have experienced several pandemic waves. Prakash Javadekar, the Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting, responded to the criticism by stating that the health ministry has a plan in place to vaccinate the entire population of the country by December 2021, as production capacity for current vaccines will be increased and more vaccines will be approved in the coming days.
Covid-19 vaccines are in high demand around the world, and manufacturers in different countries have limited manufacturing capacity, according to the ministry. Despite the shortages, India has covered 200 million people in only 130 days, making it the world’s third-largest coverage.
4 crore Covaxin shots unaccounted?
Reacting to reports that claimed that about four crore Covaxin doses are unaccounted for, the health ministry said those reports are not correct. “The claims of Bharat Biotech having 6 Crore doses is an error of comprehension among some quarters reporting the said matter,” it said.
According to the ministry, Bharat Biotech, a Hyderabad-based pharmaceutical company, has supplied the Centre with 2,76,66,860 vaccine doses as of May 28. In April, it produced 1 crore vaccine doses per month, and in July-August, it will produce 7-7 crore vaccine doses per month. By September, the total number of doses produced will have surpassed 10 crore.
Several reports claimed that there is a gap between what Bharat Biotech claims to be producing and the vaccine supply, citing affidavits filed by the Centre and Bharat Biotech’s earlier statements.
