The letter written by YSR Congress party president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy to Prime Minister seeking transfer of technology to manufacture Covaxin, the first indigenous vaccine for Covid-19, from Bharat Biotech to other companies, received quick response from the Centre.
The Central government on Thursday took a decision to allow a few more companies to produce Covaxin, by transferring the formula from Bharat Biotech to them to produce the much-needed vaccine.
Jagan took the first bold step in suggesting to the Prime Minister in his letter on May 11 that Bharat Biotech be directed to transfer the technology to other companies to make similar vaccine, so that it would speed up the vaccination drive.
The idea was later picked up by Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal who also made a similar suggestion.
Later, the Idea gained currency and on Wednesday, as many as 12 leaders from various opposition parties also made a similar demand. It was supported by NITI Aayog member V K Paul.
“They suggested that compulsory licensing for production of the vaccine must be taken up and technological transfer has to be done to the other pharmacy companies by Covaxin makers so as to ramp up the production of vaccine in a big way,” an official note from the CMO said.
Jagan said in order to vaccinate every one above 18 years the country requires 172 crore doses. As of now hardly 10 per cent of its population i.e. 17 crores is vaccinated.
As of now the production capacity of Covishield is 6 crore doses per month and Covaxin one crore doses.
“At the present rate, many experts in the field has opined that, it would take 2 to 3 years for the entire population above 18 years to get vaccinated in India,” Jagan said.
Since Covaxin has been developed by Bharath Biotech in association with ICMR and NIV in PPP mode and as such there should not be any IPR issues, he added.