Lok Sabha Question No. 912 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-07-23
Subject: Procurement of COVID Vaccines
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: DNV Senthilkumar. S., Subhash Ramrao Bhamre, Kuldeep Rai Sharma, Manickam Tagore B, Sunil Dattatray Tatkare, Amol Ramsing Kolhe, Supriya Sadanand Sule

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

LOK SABHA U NSTARRED QUES TION NO. 912 TO BE ANSWERED ON 23 RD JULY, 2021

## PROCUREMENT OF COVID VACCINES

## 912. DR. DNV SENTHILKUMAR . S.:

DR. SUBHASH RAMRAO BHAMRE:

SHRI KULDEEP RAI SHA RMA:

SHRI MANICKAM TAGORE B.:

SHRI SUNIL DATTATRAY TATKARE:

DR. AMOL RAMSING KOL HE:

SHRIMATI SUPRIYA SUL E:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a) the number of general public who have been vaccin ated for COVID - 19 since March 1, 2021;
- (b) whether the Government is facing difficulty in procuring and arranging vaccination for States resulting in shortage of availability of vaccine in different states ;
- (c)if so, the details thereof and reasons therefor along with the steps taken in this regard;
- (d) if so, the criteria fixed by Government for allocati n of vaccine to States/UTs;
- (e) the per unit cost of Covaxin and Covishield vaccin  purchased by Government and the reason forcost of Covaxin is s o high when ICMR is working with Bharat Biotech; and
- (f) whether the Government has taken any initiative to help Indian vaccine manufacturers who are in the process of developing COVID - 19 vaccine which are in trial three of advance stage and if so, details thereof?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (DR . BHARATI PRAVIN PAW AR )

- (a): A total of 31.45 crore beneficiaries have received at least one dose of COVID - 19 vaccine since 1 st March 2021 till 20 th July 2021.
- (b) & ( c): The Government of India is not facing any difficulty in procuring vaccines. I Government  of  India  has  been  supplying  vaccines  free  of  cost  to  the  States/UTs administration to prioritized beneficiaries as recommended by NEGVAC. Advance visibi lity of these allocations i.e. the total doses of vaccine that would be available to a State/UT,

to  States/UTs  15  days  in  advance  so  as  to  enable  States/UTs  to  plan  for  accelerat vaccination coverage while being cognizant of the available vaccines.

(d) The Government of India allocate s vaccines to States/UTs based on criteria such as pro- rata target population, the progress of vaccination in the State/UT and vaccine wastage.

(e) As per the latest Supply Order, Government of India is purchasing Covishield (exclus taxes), @ Rs. 205 per dose and Covaxin @ Rs 215 per dose. There is only a marginal differ in the purchase price of the two vaccines for Government of India.

(f) The Department of  Biotechnology (DBT),  Ministry of  Science  &  Technology, is implementing a scheme 'Mission COVID Suraksha -the IndianCOVID - 19 Vaccine Development Mission' .Under the Mission, facility augmentation for production of Covaxin i being  su pported  whereb y Bharat  Biotech  and  3  Public  Sector  Enterprises  (PSEs)  including Haffkine  Biopharmaceutical  Corporation  Ltd,  Mumbai;  Indian  Immunologicals  Limited  (IIL) Hyderabad;  Bharat  Immunologicals  Biologicals  Limited  (BIBCOL),  Bulandshahr;  are  being supported.

Additionally,  technology  transfer  of  Covaxin  production  to  Consortium  of  partn including  Hester  Biosciences  and  OmniBRx  Biotechnologies  Pvt.  Ltd.,  led  by,  Gujar Biotechnology  Research  Centre  (GBRC),  Department  of  Science  and  Technology,  Govt .  of Gujarat, is being facilitated by the Department of Biotechnology. Government of India has also provided financial assistance to one of the domestic vaccine manufacturers i.e. M/s Biolo who is at present in advance phase  III  clinical  trial  for  ' Atrisk  manufacturing' of COVID - 19 vaccine.