TN, Bharat Biotech discuss Covid vaccine unit set up

CHENNAI: Amid shortage of vaccines, the State government has started the process to woo manufacturers to set up their units in Tamil Nadu. Currently, talks are being held with Bharat Biotech, the indigenous manufacturer of Covaxin, to take over the Integrated Vaccine Complex at Chengalpattu.

Chief Minister MK Stalin on Thursday held a consultation with representatives of Bharat Biotech, led by Suchitra Ella, Co-Founder and Joint MD of the firm, along with its Executive Director, Sai Prasad, and other State government officials. This discussion comes in the wake of the State reaching out to the Centre to operationalise the unit.

“Bharat Biotech’s executives will be visiting the Chengalpattu complex on Friday. We have extended support to them,” said the official. Meanwhile, sources also added that the State government will also offer all possible help if the Union government offers it to Bharat Biotech. “They have not seen the facility. Once they visit the site, a decision is likely to be taken by Saturday or Sunday,” said the official.

The Chief Minister had written a letter to Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, emphasising an urgency. “I wish to highlight to you the urgency of the moment, given the need for immediate commencement of production. Irrespective of whether it is the Union or the State, which is to find the partner to operationalise it, the need is to ensure there is absolutely no delay in the process,” the letter had said.

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The Integrated Vaccine Complex, which can produce one billion doses annually, has been lying unused for years after it was built on a sprawling 100-acre land, under the Universal Immunisation Programme