Is India's War On Covid-19 Losing Steam?

As the vaccination drive continues, India is faced with a shortage of vaccines considering the population of the country, which currently stands at a staggering 1,390,605,073, as per Worldometer elaboration of the latest United Nations data. The Indian government, to address this stark reality, has opened its doors to foreign vaccines and are fast-tracking their approval.

- Prabhat Prakash

As the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, vaccines offer a glimmer of hope in these dark times. The world has moved swiftly in unison to develop COVID-19 vaccines, with India leading from the front in terms of COVID-19 vaccine production and supplying it to the rest of the world.

India had approved the indigenously developed COVAXIN by Bharat Biotech and COVISHEILD (AstraZeneca) manufactured by Serum Institute of India (SII) on January 3, 2021. The Drug Controller General of India (DGCI) had approved the vaccines on the basis of ‘restricted’ use in an ‘emergency’ situation, with the vaccination drive commencing on January 16, 2021. The Sputnik V developed by Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology and the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) received the nod on April 12, 2021. The centre procured 1.10 crore doses of COVISHEILD at the cost of Rs 200/dose (excluding taxes) and 55 lakh doses of COVAXIN. The cost of 38.5 lakh doses of COVAXIN was Rs 295/dose (excluding taxes) but the company provided 16.5 lakh doses of COVAXIN free of cost to the central government reducing the cost to Rs 206/dose. The central government was able to procure the vaccines at this price by putting a price cap on the vaccine. The cost of Sputnik V hasn’t been announced as yet. This is a two-dose vaccine that costs approximately $10 per dose in the global market.