Serum Institute of India (SII) is aiming to have 100 million doses to be ready by December for a vaccination drive that could begin across India that same month, according to reports; it is ramping up the production of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine.
According to reports Adar Poonawalla, Chief Executive Officer, SII, in an interview with Bloomberg said, if the final stage clinical trial data show that AstraZeneca’s vaccine candidate is giving effective protection from the virus, at least one billion does to be produced partnering with the Serum Institute of India and may get emergency authorisation from New Delhi by December.
That initial amount will go to India, Poonawalla said. The early full approval may be given by the next year and will allow the distribution on a 50-50 basis between the south Asian nation and Covax, the World Health Organization-backed body that’s purchasing shots for poor nations.
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40 Million Doses Of The COVID-19 Vaccine Ready
SII, has a tie up with five other developers and has made 40 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine so far in the past two months and plans to start manufacturing Novavax’s competitor soon. “We were a bit concerned it was a big risk,” said 39-year-old Poonawalla. But both AstraZeneca and Novavax’s shots “are looking pretty good”, according to reports.
Poonawalla is investigating $250 million of his family’s fortune into a offer to ramp up manufacturing capacity to 1 billion doses through 2021. A prominent vaccine candidate that requires an ultra-cold storage is “a joke” that will not work for the developing world.
He said, Anyone who declares how long a vaccine will confer immunity is talking “nonsense.” On the contrary to rosier predictions, He said until 2024, the world’s entire population will not be immunised.
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But Doubts About Vaccine Efficacy continues
While Poonawalla’s aims to cover costs, Gavi and the Gates Foundation want to assure vaccine supply at an affordable price. A new production facility to be completed by next year at its head quarters in Pune and the company has diverted the capacity from existing vaccines.
According to reports, about 20 million doses have been made, and 10 times of that amount expected to be ready by the next four months. Though the company has assured to keep half of the vaccines for the use within India and has already begun the manufacturing the AstraZeneca vaccine.
As Poonawalla says, nobody wants a vaccine that is merely going to protect you for a few months. A new coronavirus vaccine may be licensed for public use every couple of months which may be available by 2021. It is great news but what remains to be seen is which vaccine will offer long-term protection from the virus.
