Centre inks deal to avail second India-made vaccine doses
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New Delhi: Amid anti-corona vaccine shortage, the Union government has booked 30 crore doses of Hyderabad-based Biological-E's Covid vaccine, which is likely to be available in the next few months, says a statement released by the Health ministry.
The doses will be manufactured and stockpiled by Biological-E from August to December 2021, says the statement.
The Health Ministry will make an advance payment of Rs 1,500 crore to the company to procure Biological-E's vaccine which is currently in Phase-3 clinical trials after showing promising results in Phase 1 and 2, said the government in a statement.
As a part of the government's mission to support five or six new COVID-19 vaccine candidates, Biological-E's shot was given Rs 100 crore in financial assistance by the Department of Biotechnology, which also partnered with the company to conduct various studies.
Finally, Biological-E was examined and recommended for approval by the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 or NEGVAC.
Further, in an effort to speed up the vaccination drive and achieve a target of one crore vaccinations a day by August, the government intends to soon use Russia's Sputnik V alongside Covaxin and Serum Institute of India's Covishield, to vaccinate its citizens.
It is also in talks with foreign vaccine makers like Pfizer and Moderna, who have insisted on an indemnity clause.