CMs of Delhi, AP ask PM to open up vax making

May 11, 2021 17:42

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Tuesday asked the Centre to direct Bharat Biotech and ICMR-NIV to transfer the Covaxin manufacturing technology and provide the viral strain to "whoever is interested and capable of manufacturing the vaccine" so that the production could be ramped up.

In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Jagan claimed that the present total manufacturing capacity of Covaxin did not cater to the country's requirement.

"It may take several months to get all vaccinated at this pace. Please explore the possibility of involving all such production firms and enable them with the technology, intellectual property rights to deliver the vaccine as quickly and as affordable as possible," the Chief Minister said.

"Anyone who can manufacture or is interested in manufacturing the vaccine should be encouraged to do so in the larger public interest.Entire manufacturing capacity should be mobilised and put to use in this testing times," Jagan added.

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal also wrote to Modi, requesting him to allow other companies to manufacture the two COVID-19 vaccines. "Govt of India can do away with vaccine production monopoly using the patent law," he writes.

Jagan Reddy said the Prime Minister's intervention on these suggestions, and if implemented, would go a long way in encouraging the manufacturers and accelerate the supply of vaccines.

The Chief Minister said "we are not able to vaccinate our population at large" due to short supply of vaccine though the state demonstrated its capacity to inoculate six lakh people per day.

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