Bharat Biotech is ready to meet higher supply requirements of Covaxin, which has recently been approved for emergency use in children between 12 -18 years of age from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI).
In response to a query from BusinessLine, the vaccine maker said it is “all geared up to meet higher demand for its vaccine” after the commencement of vaccination for children in the age group of 12-18 years on January 3 and booster dose for front-line warriors and senior citizens from January 10.
Scaling up capacity
The push for adult vaccination in the backdrop of the Omicron threat is also expected to boost demand for the first desi Covid-19 vaccine developed by the Hyderabad company.
Since its launch, the company has been scaling its manufacturing capacity in a phased manner across its own facilities in Hyderabad, Telangana; Malur, Karnataka; Ankleshwar; Gujarat; and Pune, Maharashtra.
At present the company is producing 55-60 million doses per month and expecting to reach an annualised capacity of one billion doses over the next few months.
Same dose for children
The two-dose Covaxin, given to the adults as part of the public vaccination programme, will also be given to children in the same form and dosage, according to the company.
“The same dosage can be administered to adults and children,” it said.