COVID-19 Vaccine: Serum Institute of India to produce additional 100 million doses for India

The Serum Institute of India recently announced that it will produce additional 100 million COVID-19 vaccines for low- and middle- income countries by 2021.

Highlights

Earlier, the institute had committed to deliver 100 million vaccines. Now a total of 200 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines are to be delivered to India by 2021. The Institute is to accelerate the manufacturing joining hands with Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and also GAVI alliance.

About the vaccine

The vaccine being produced by the institute is to be priced at 3 USD per dose. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will provide at risk funding of 150 million USD to GAVI alliance.

This vaccine is one among the three vaccines that are under clinical trial in India. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has assured that the first COVID-19 vaccine is to be available in India by early 2021.

Tracking COVID-19 Vaccines

The Ministry of Health had earlier launched a special web portal to track information about vaccine development, ongoing clinical trials and progress made globally and locally. Also, the National Clinical Registry of COVID-19 was launched that will collect data regarding the treatment.

COVAX Facility

The facility was launched by GAVI alliance to provide equal access of COVID-19 vaccines to all the countries. This was launched to prevent vaccine nationalism. Vaccine Nationalism is a scenario where countries that have developed the vaccines provides it to its own people alone. By this, the low- and middle-income countries are left out. Hence, the facility has been established to make sure vaccines reach every part of the world.

So far, 92 low-income countries and 73 high-income countries have formally agreed to join the facility. The facility is funded by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation as well.

Month: Current Affairs - September, 2020