India's Covid-19 battle got renewed teeth on Tuesday morning with third vaccine - Russia's Sputnik V - being approved for emergency use, even as second wave continued to show every sign of being more prevalent than even first. Along with this, Centre has fast-tracked emergency approvals for foreign-produced Covid-19 vaccines that have been granted Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) in or countries to expand basket of vaccines for domestic use and hasten pace and cover of vaccination. country has recorded over 160,000 cases for second consecutive day. To put things into perspective, in entirety of 2020, India had never posted more than 100,000 cases in a 24 hour period, as reported by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW).

With Russian vaccine w set to be added to mix, vaccine arithmetic is more critical than ever before. India had targeted iculating 300 million people by end of July, and it is apparent that public health needs, as well as politics, will necessitate that target be met if t exceeded. Even as Centre and states look to move past last week's squabbles over vaccine supply and wast, demand for lowering requirements and making vaccine available for all is only likely to grow unless cases are reined in.

India's vaccine manufacturing, exports, grants and internal administration

India is considered world's largest manufacturer of vaccines, and is home to largest single manufacturing company - Serum Institute of India. In comparison to SII which is manufacturing Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine as Covishield, Bharat Biotech's own capacity is currently t comparable. SII itself is aiming to raise its capacity. Here's latest.

Serum Institute of India: Covid vaccine Covishield manufacturing production & capacity plans

In March, Department of Biotechlogy had told a Parliamentary Panel that estimated production of Covishield is 70-100 million doses per month. As per more recent reports, SII's production capacity is almost 70 million doses per month and it plans to increase it to 100 million per month have been delayed by January fire at one of units at its Pune HQ. SII has supplied over 100 million doses to government so far and exported 30 million to COVAX alliance. 

Serum Institute has also sought a grant of Rs 3000 crore in order to ramp up that capacity beyond 100 million, targeted for by end of May. It has written to Niti Aayog for Rs 1000 out of total Rs 3000 for a dedicated Covishield production unit. As per SII CEO Adar Poonawalla, its production capacity is currently very stretched and that government earns more from export than it pays per shot, hence request for a government grant, failing which or avenues to raise funds may be explored.

SII is also aiming to launch vovax's Covovax vaccine by September with requisite permissions in place, and was also said to be in talks to manufacture Russia's Sputnik V, which has w been approved by drug regulator DCGI. Covishield's efficacy is 61% to 90% with publishers using a 79%-efficacy figure for purpose.

Bharat Biotech: Covaxin vaccine manufacturing production & capacity plans

Along with approval for Sputnik V comes news of Bharat Biotech also ramping up production of indigeus vaccine Covaxin, using its manufacturing setups at Hyderabad and Bengaluru. company estimates a planned production capacity of 150 million doses per year, and with its recent expansion, is in process of expanding monthly production to 12 million doses/month from current 5 million doses/month. Hyderabad-based vaccine maker eventually plans to scale this up to 500 million doses/year. For this purpose it has sought Rs 150 crore funding to split between its Hyderabad and Bengaluru facilities. Bharat Biotech's Covaxin has an efficacy of 81%, as per clinical trial data.

Sputnik V vaccine: Dr Reddy's and ors to import & distribute first, n manufacture

As per reports, Dr Reddy's Laboratories, which partnered with Russia's RIDF 8 months ago, has a deal to distribute 100 million doses which it is to import, even as it sets up its own manufacturing for vaccine. Apart from Dr Reddy's, Hyderabad's Virchow Biotech, Gland Pharma and Hetero Drug as well as Bengaluru-based Stelis Biopharma are to manufacture a total of 752 million doses (planned), though it is unclear by when. SII is also in mix, as mentioned above. Sputnik V vaccine has an efficacy of 91.6% as reported by Lancet.

Or Vaccines and manufacturers

As per a top government source's word to ANI, India will receive vaccines from 4 additional manufacturers by third quarter this year, apart from three so far. se include Johnson & Johnson's vaccine (with Biological E), vovax (with SII, as mentioned above), Zydus Cadila's vaccine and an intranasal vaccine by Bharat Biotech.

India's internal Vaccine iculation, vaccine exports and grants via Vaccine Maitri

India recently became fastest country to complete administering of 100 million vaccine doses, in 85 days. In comparison, US took 89 days and China took 102 days.

current rate of vaccinations is approximately 4 million per day, with a total of 108.5 million doses administered as of April 13, of which 13 million are second doses.

At time India breached 100 million vaccine doses figure, 80 million of vaccines administered were mentioned as being Covishield manufactured by SII.

At same time, according to Ministry of External Affairs, India's Vaccine Maitri programme has exported or sent as grants, vaccines to almost 90 nations and entities, including to UN Peacekeepers. 

• Of se, grants constitute: 10.5 million
• Commercial exports constitute: 35.8 million
• COVAX exports constitute: 18.7 million
• Accordingly, India has thus far distributed 65 million vaccines abroad.

Total figures of production & distribution:

• India's total approximate vaccine production capacity at moment stands at: 70 million (SII) + 5 million (Bharat Biotech) = 75 million/month.
• Total vaccines administered internally: 108.5 million
• Total vaccines sent abroad: 65 million

nation has conducted almost 260 million tests so far, of which re have been 13.6 million confirmed Covid-19 cases, with 1.26 million active cases at moment. 171,058 people have died due to Coronavirus in India.