Even after getting the formula, it is not easy for other companies to manufacture Covaxin
Recently, very positive news came in the direction of Vaccine Production that apart from Bharat Biotech, other companies will also start manufacturing indigenous vaccine ‘Covaxin‘.
If this happens, India’s capacity will increase and the shortage of vaccine will be removed, but now what the experts have said, these efforts are showing water at the moment.
Are no more companies capable of making contains in India?
In fact, the vaccine manufacturer Bharat Biotech agreed to share Covaxin Formula. After this, NITI Aayog invited interested vaccine manufacturers to come forward, but very few companies in the country were found to be Equipped to make Dead Virus Vaccine.
Covacine formula is not easy
Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Founding Chairperson of Biocon, also tweeted, ‘Inviting other manufacturers to produce Covaxin to remove the shortage of vaccine makers – to see how many companies are ready for it but Nobody really wants to deal with a live virus or work with it. No one would dare to do so in the rest of the world, so most manufacturers opt for protein-based vaccines. In the context of pandemics, the fastest way to develop a vaccine is to take and inactivate the live virus.
Vaccine Makers Invited To Produce Covaxin To Address Shortage – interested to see how many takers there are https://t.co/VPzqmOsHgj
— Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw (@kiranshaw) May 14, 2021
Not many equipped to make Covaxin. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw tweet: “Vaccine Makers Invited To Produce Covaxin To Address Shortage – interested to see how many takers there are.”https://t.co/lG6VT2Wdymhttps://t.co/hl1hlBHAgF
— Krushna (@govindagopala) May 16, 2021
‘It’s no joke’
KI Varaprasad Reddy, a vaccine pioneer and founder of Shantha Biotech, says, ‘A vaccine has no formula, it has a process and technology. Even if this technology is available to others, it will take at least 6-8 months to a year for them to adapt and start production, as the verification of the BSL-3 facility itself will take 3-6 months. Also, people have to be given at least six months of training to deal with the live virus. it’s not a joke.’
It takes time to install BSL-3 facilities
According to sources, Indian Immunologicals Ltd, which will manufacture Covaxin drug substance, will take at least three months to remodel its BSL-2 + rabies facility and full production will start only after October.
The Haffkine Institute, which is incorporated by the Indian government to manufacture Covaxin along with Bharat Immunologicals and Biologicals, will also take a few months to set up BSL-3 facilities.
