Union minister Mansukh Mandaviya announced yesterday that the government has approved Bharat Biotech’s Ankleshwar-based manufacturing plant to produce the COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin. “Govt of India approves vaccine manufacturing facility in Ankleshwar, Gujarat for production of @BharatBiotech’s #Covaxin,” Mandaviya tweeted.
The approval would help increase availability of COVID-19 vaccines in the country, he added.
“Following PM @NarendraModi ji’s vision of #SabkoVaccineMuftVaccine, this will increase vaccine availability & accelerate the world’s largest vaccine drive,” the minister who heads both Chemicals and Fertilisers and Health ministries, noted.
In May this year, Bharat Biotech had announced that it plans to produce an additional 200 million doses of Covaxin at its Ankleshwar-based facility.
The Hyderabad-based firm had noted that it would utilise the manufacturing plant of its wholly-owned unit – Chiron Behring, to add another 200 million doses of Covaxin.