India has covered a sufficient population of vaccines and infections, but protein vaccines are expected to remain available in exchange for payment for the elderly and those with comorbidities.
Sources told Business Standard that no transparent resolution has yet been taken to halt the vaccination campaign.
“There is no transparent resolution on the closure. Some vaccines are being administered through travelers with doses in the states,” a senior administration official said.
Some states have also hospitalized Covid cases. For example, the media bulletin of the Maharashtra Department of Public Health’s Integrated Disease Surveillance Program reported that there were 41 active cases in the state as of May 11.
Of those, about 35 patients were isolated at home. Approximately six patients were hospitalized, 4 of whom were admitted to intensive care.
Experts believe that it is necessary to maintain an emergency inventory of some vaccines.
Dr Shahid Jameel, a virologist and researcher at the University of Oxford’s Green Templeton College, told Business Standard: “India has covered enough of the population with vaccines and infections, but there is still a need to get protein vaccines in exchange for payment for the elderly and those with comorbidities. .
Dr. Jameel clarified that even if the elderly have received their 3 vaccines, those vaccines will have to be available, but the government will not be forced to make them free.
For example, Cowin points out that there are no vaccination centres available in Mumbai, nor in the urban areas of New Delhi or Bengaluru, nor even in Kolkata.
Thane, a neighboring district of Mumbai, however, has a vaccination center that administers Biological E’s Corbevax.
This vaccine is also approved for use in older children ages 12 to 14. It can be used as a combined and fit booster after Covishiled (AstraZeneca-Serum Institute) or Covaxin (Bharat Biotech).
In January 2023, Bharat Biotech’s iNCOVACC nasal vaccine was launched as a combined and adjusted booster dose after Covishield and Covaxin. iNCOVACC was priced at Rs 800 per dose in the current domestic market.
Pune-based Gennova Biopharma’s GEMCOVAC-OM mRNA (protein) vaccine against the Omicron variant of Sars-CoV-2 since June last year.
Last December, the company had one million doses in stock.
Meanwhile, 54,932 doses of Covovax Serum, 73. 8 million doses of Corbevax and 1. 2 million doses of Sputnik V were administered. In addition, 363 million doses of Covaxin and 1. 74 billion doses of Covishield have been administered so far.
There are stocks of Covaxin and Covishield because they have expired.
Serum said last fortnight: “Since India achieved peak vaccination rates in 2021 and 2022, coupled with the emergence of new mutant variant strains, the demand for previous vaccines has declined significantly.
“Therefore, since December 2021, we have stopped the production and supply of more doses of Covishield.
A vaccine industry source said brands were preparing to produce more doses for two reasons.
One of them is the low or almost non-existent demand for vaccines by the public sector.
Second, all of those vaccines have Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) status, allowing brands to distribute them in pharmacies.
“We market the vaccine in the personal market (through pharmacies or other distribution channels) because they have EUA status,” the source said.
“Vaccines will have to be ordered through the government or through personal centers registered with Co-WIN. Therefore, unless orders are placed, no one will be able to produce doses and create stockpiles,” the source added.
Its vaccine candidate has completed all the necessary preclinical studies in animals, suggesting that it will provide good enough coverage against the variants that have been circulating lately.
Presentation of the report: Ashish Narsale/Rediff. com