The Serum Institute of India (SII), the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer, dumped 100m doses of its COVID-19 vaccine after they expired, said CEO Adar Poonwalla last week, saying that the company stopped producing Covishield in December last year due to low demand.
The firm has been making the local version of AstraZeneca's Vaxzevria jab, reports the BBC.
Covishield accounts for more than 90% of the more than R2bn doses given in India. More than 70% of the Indian population has taken at least two doses, said the federal Health Ministry.
In January, India began giving boosters to healthcare and frontline workers, and people older than 60 with comorbidities. It was later expanded to all adults.
In July, free booster doses – or precaution doses as the government calls it – were provided to all adults for 75 days to mark 75 years of India’s independence.
But so far, India has administered just 298m booster doses, according to the Health Ministry.
“People now seem fed up with COVID,” Poonawala said. “Honestly, I’m also fed up. We all are.”
The SII had around 100m doses of Covishield in stock. The vaccines, which have a shelf life of nine months, expired in September.
Poonawala said the SII had completed trials for the COVID vaccine Covovax as a booster dose. The company expects the vaccine to get approval within the next two weeks. It has also partnered with US biotech company Novavax for an Omicron-specific booster, he said.
BBC article – India vaccine maker destroys 100 million doses of expired Covid jab (Open access)
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