Covishield is currently in phase 2 and phase 3 human trials. (Representative)
New Delhi:
The Union Health Ministry said it disagreed with the Rs 80,000 crore figure cited by Adar Poonawalla, CEO of the Serum Institute of India – the world‘s largest vaccine maker by volume and who conducts trials of Covid vaccine candidates before mass production – to buy and distribute the vaccine in the country. The ministry also said it has sufficient funds for the vaccine.
While speaking to the media on Tuesday, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan was asked to respond to Mr Poonawalla’s tweet highlighting the challenges of vaccine production and distribution in the country. On September 26, Mr Poonawalla tweeted: “Quick question; will the Indian government have 80,000 crore in the next year? Because that’s what @MoHFW_INDIA needs, to buy and distribute the vaccine to everyone in India. the next challenge we face. ” He also tagged the official PMO Twitter handle in his tweet.
The Health Secretary replied: “The person who tweeted it also clarified the next day. As far as we are concerned, we do not agree with the calculation of Rs 80,000 crore. The government has created a national expert group on vaccine administration and they have held five meetings to date. In these meetings, we reflected on the process of dispensing the COVID-19 vaccine and how much needed in terms of prioritization of the vaccine. population and phased immunization for that prioritization. At meetings, we calculated the amount required and currently that amount is available from the government. “
After Mr Poonawalla questioned the government’s immunization funds, Ashwani Mahajan, national co-organizer of Swadeshi Jagaran Manch, affiliated with Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), tweeted that Mr Poonawalla could be “forced to produce a vaccine without operating fees “.
On Twitter he had posted saying: “Let you know @adarpoonawalla India’s patent law has a section on compulsory licenses and we can force you and your peers to produce vaccines without license fees. . “
Shortly after, Mr Poonawalla tweeted congratulating Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his speech to the United Nations General Assembly, on COVID-19 vaccines and all the government “arrangements”.
He tweeted, saying, “We share and applaud your vision @narendramodi ji, on delivering vaccines to the global community. It’s a proud moment for India, thank you for your leadership and support. It’s clear that all your arrangements for India will take care of all the needs of the Indian people. “
Prime Minister Modi said in his virtual address to the United Nations General Assembly on Saturday that India can help pull the world out of the coronavirus crisis with a massive vaccine distribution once all trials are successfully completed .
Covishield – the vaccine developed by the University of Oxford and pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca and currently being tested by IBS in India – is currently in phase 2 and phase 3 human trials.
In July, when Mr Poonawalla spoke to GalacticGaming, he suggested that the Covishield vaccine, if available, would cost around Rs1,000. He also said India would receive around 30 million doses per month and it could take up to two years for the whole country to be vaccinated.
In addition to Covishield, other candidate vaccines are also being tested across the country. Native vaccine developers Bharat Biotech are in phase 2 with COVAXIN and Zydus Cadila awaits approvals for phase 3 clinical trials of its vaccine.
