What's India's vax output? There's no sure shot reply

Jr Health Mantri Gives 3 Sets Of Numbers For Covaxin, 2 For Covishield

- Rema Nagarajan

India’s junior health minister, Bharati Pravin Pawar, gave the Rajya Sabha three different sets of numbers for the monthly output of Covaxin, and two for Covishield, on the same day in response to questions. Two of these questions were asked by the same member. The numbers cited don’t match what the government had earlier told the Supreme Court in affidavits.

On July 20, in response to a question from Congress MP Mallikarjun Kharge, Pawar said the average monthly production capacity of Covishield by Serum Institute of India is 11 crore doses and of Covaxin by Bharat Biotech 2.5 crore doses.

She went on to add that “as communicated by manufacturers, the monthly vaccine production capacity of Covishield is planned to be increased from 11 crore doses per month to more than 12 crore doses per month and production capacity of Covaxin is planned to be increased from 2.5 crore doses per month to 5.8 crore doses per month.” In response to a question from BJP MP TG Venkateshon the same day, Pawar said “the estimated production quantity is around 130 million (13 crore) doses/month” for Covishield and for Covaxin “the estimated production quantity is around 17.5 million (1.75 crore) doses/month.”