TNI Bureau: As part of the landmark collaboration between the Serum Institute of India (SII), Gavi, and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the SII has announced that COVID-19 vaccine will be available at US$ 3 or Rs 225 per dose across 92 countries.
“Vaccines will be priced at maximum US$ 3 per dose and made available to the 92 countries included in Gavi’s COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC),” it announced.
The new collaboration is aimed at accelerating the manufacture and delivery of up to 100 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines for India and low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
“The collaboration will provide upfront capital to SII to help them increase manufacturing capacity now so that, once a vaccine, or vaccines, gains regulatory approval and WHO prequalification, doses can be produced at scale for distribution to India and LMIC as part of the Gavi COVAX AMC mechanism as early as the first half of 2021”, said SII.
“Under the COVAX umbrella, Gavi is leading the COVAX Facility, which provides governments with the opportunity to benefit from a large portfolio of COVID-19 candidate vaccines using a range of technology platforms, produced by more manufacturers across the world, with a bigger market to provide security of demand. The Facility is reinforced by the AMC which provides funding for vaccines for lower income countries.”
“In an attempt to make our fight against COVID-19 stronger and all-embracing; SII has partnered with Gavi and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to advance the manufacturing and delivery of up to 100 million doses of future COVID vaccines for India and low and middle income countries in 2021,” said Adar Poonawalla, CEO of Serum Institute of India.