Serum Institute of India (SII) likely to reduce monthly production of its COVID-19 vaccine Cowishield Up to 50% because there aren’t enough orders to jab, CEO Adar Poonawalla said on Tuesday. This comes at a time when most of the Indian population has been vaccinated against the virus.
Besides this, SII has sought clarity from the Center on the requirement of the vaccine – for the usual two doses for eligible people in the country and also on the booster dose.
Poonawalla told CNBC-TV18, “I am really in a dilemma that I never imagined… We are producing 250 million doses a month, but the good news is that India has We have covered a large part of the population and we would have fulfilled all our orders to the Health Ministry within a week.”
So far, more than 129 crore vaccine doses have been given in the country.
As there was no other order in hand, so I am going to reduce the production by at least 50%… on monthly basis till the orders come again in India or the world, says SII CEO on his future. are production strategy.
Exports pick up in the next quarter
Poonawalla further informed that export orders are likely to increase in the next quarter, though it is currently slow.
“In the eight months when we couldn’t export, other countries managed to supply the vaccine with donations from the US and elsewhere, and we’ve lost a lot of market share,” he said, however, adding that he now Going to try clawing. Demand back in the first quarter of next year.
Poonawalla said, initially, it is going to be slow, but unless the central government requires, it will not require 250 million doses a month.
“If they need more vaccines for booster doses, we have already written to them (central government). Now their decision on booster policy is whether they will buy more and stockpile before the next surge, if so. Happens. We are waiting for his instructions.”
We don’t want the situation like last year
Noting that there was a sudden demand for lakhs of doses last year, he said, we should keep in mind that we do not need such a situation.
“So we have explained this to the government and the experts, please let us know now. If you need more dosage for booster we have it in stock, we can produce more. Just give us that guidance. This discussion is going on at the moment.”
Poonawalla said the vaccine major currently has a stockpile of 500 million doses.
“Of this, half is a finished product and half may expire in two months and its shelf life is nine months, so we have to decide what to do with the stock. It is available on priority for India and if not, We will start exporting a lot from the first quarter of 2022,” he said.
Poonawalla said the government has been informed and the company will wait for a few days for them to come back before deciding on its next course of action.
(with inputs from agencies)
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