Serum Institute to produce additional 100 million Covid-19 vaccine doses for poorer countries

The Serum Institute of India (SII) said it will produce 100 million doses of its Covid-19 vaccine for India and low and middle-income countries in 2021. They will be priced at a maximum of $3 per dose, it said in a statement.

SII's announcement comes in the wake of its collaboration with, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

In August, SII had announced it would deliver 100 million doses. The current production acceleration will take it up to 200 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine.

Read | Serum Institute investing $100 mn on potential COVID-19 vaccine

“At this stage, It is important for governments, global health and financial institutions in the public and private sector to come together in ensuring that no one is left behind in the road to recovery. This association is In line with our efforts to see that the future vaccines reaches the remotest part of the world providing full immunization coverage in a bid to contain the spread of the pandemic," said Adar Poonawalla, CEO of Serum Institute of India

Read | Adar Poonawalla says Serum Institute's Covid-19 vaccine will be available for less than Rs 1,000

SII has signed an agreement to manufacture the potential vaccine developed by Jenner Institute of Oxford University in collaboration with British-Swedish pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca.

Under the COVAX umbrella, Gavi is coordinating the COVAX Facility, which provides governments with the opportunity to benefit from a large portfolio of Covid-19 candidate vaccines using a range of technology platforms, produced by more manufacturers across the world, with a bigger market to provide security of demand.

So far 73 higher-income economies have formally committed to join the facility, in addition to the 92 low and middle-income economies that are eligible for support from the Gavi COVAX AMC.

“This is vaccine manufacturing for the Global South, by the Global South, helping us to ensure no country is left behind when it comes to access to a Covid-19 vaccine,” said Dr Seth Berkley, CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.