Centre gives nod to Covaxin plant in Guj

NEW DELHI: The Centre on Tuesday approved Bharat Biotech’s manufacturing facility at Ankleshwar in Gujarat to produce Covaxin, the company’s vaccine, the Union health ministry announced.

“Govt of India approves vaccine manufacturing facility for production of @Bharatbiotech’s #Covaxin in Ankleshwar, Gujarat. Following PM @Narendramodi ji’s vision of #Sabkovaccinemuftvaccine, this will increase vaccine availability & accelerate the world’s largest vaccine drive,” tweeted Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya.

According to people familiar with the matter, vaccine doses from this facility are likely to be out for use by September. Close to six million doses are likely to be produced in the Ankleshwar plant that earlier manufactured anti-rabies vaccines. The overall Covaxin production capacity is going to be scaled up to close to 60 million doses a month around the last quarter of 2021.

Currently, doses from Bharat Biotech’s Hyderabad facility are being supplied for the country’s immunisation programme. Apart from the Gujarat facility, the firm has also refurbished its Malur plant in Karnataka to produce Covaxin doses to scale up production. Even though the company did not respond to queries, in an earlier statement it said, “Products manufactured from these facilities will be available for supplies during September. This is based on our 120-day timeline for manufacturing, testing, release, regulatory approvals, and distribution.”

With a couple of other PSUS also being roped in for making Covaxin, the production number is projected to go up from the current 25 million doses a month to at least 58 million doses, the Union health minister said in Parliament earlier this month.