The Serum Institute of India (SII) is approaching the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for approval to its Covid-19 vaccine, Covishield, for the European Union’s Green Pass, a document that will ease travel within and to the bloc, people aware of the matter said on Monday EMA currently recognises only four Covid-19 vaccines that have received EU-wide marketing authorisation so far, reports Hindustan Times. READ: Serum gets govt nod to produce Sputnik vaccine in India Indian officials said it was “perplexing” that the list includes Vaxzevria, the AstraZeneca vaccine produced and marketed in the UK and other sites around Europe, but not Covishield, the version manufactured and distributed in India, though they are similar if not identical. The issue of Covishield’s approval by EMA is also expected to be taken up by the Indian side with European Union (EU) officials on the margins of the G20 foreign ministers’ meeting in Italy on June 29, said people familiar with developments, even as SII’s CEO Adar Poonawalla said on Monday that he has taken up the matter at the highest level to ensure Indians don’t face any travel restrictions.

Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Thursday said there is no reason to be worried about Covid-19 vaccine stock, noting that Bangladesh will have enough vaccine jabs as planned, including a gift of 6 lakh doses from China. “We’ve enough stock. We’ve made a lineup. We’ll have enough. China will give 6 lakh doses of vaccine as a gift. We don’t have to worry about it... we’re okay,” he said. Bangladesh has received 7 million of Oxford-AstraZeneca covid-19 vaccine doses produced by Serum Institute of India (SII) through its contract. Bangladesh also received 3.3 million doses of vaccine as a bilateral partnership gift. This is the largest amount sent from India to any country. Talking to reporters at his residence, Dr Momen said the two health ministries of Russia and Bangladesh agreed in principle on the proposal of vaccine coproduction in Bangladesh.  Also read: Will do our best to support vaccine rollout in neighbouring countries: India “We’re on the same page. Our Health Ministry knows the details. Things will be finalised by the Health Ministry,” said the Foreign Minister. He said Bangladesh will also purchase vaccine doses from Russia. Talking to UNB last week, the Foreign Minister revealed that Russia proposed Bangladesh to go for a co-production of vaccines. “It’s not bad. We’re keeping our options open.” He said Russia will give the technology and Bangladeshi pharmaceutical companies will produce the Russian vaccine here if things go well. “It’ll be cheap and hopefully it’ll be better.” Responding to a question on discussion with the USA, Dr Momen said the United States has assured of making Covid-19 vaccines available for other countries, including Bangladesh, once they have surplus reaching the level of mass vaccination in the US. “I can assure you when we can reach the level of the critical mass vaccination and we’ve surplus, we’ll absolutely make vaccines available in whatever different ways,” John Kerry, the US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate told reporters during his recent visit to Bangladesh. Also read: Covid vaccines should be declared as global public goods: PM Hasina Despite high demand in India, Bangladesh hopes that India will supply the rest of the Oxford-AstraZeneca covid-19 vaccine doses produced by Serum Institute of India (SII) to Bangladesh as agreed between the two countries but keeps other options open.   Bangladesh has purchased three crore doses of the vaccine from Serum Institute and the first shipment of 50 lakh arrived here in January last week while the second consignment of 20 lakh doses of Covid-19 came in February. The Foreign Minister acknowledged the high demand for vaccines globally, including the demand by some political leaders in India to halt export. “I think it won’t be applicable for us as we made arrangements and made advance payment. India announced the vaccine will be delivered as per schedule. And we believe it,” Dr Momen said. Once China had shown much interest to give vaccines to Bangladesh but Bangladesh was reluctant at that time as their vaccine was not approved by the World Health Organization (WHO), he said. Also read: Hopeful of getting rest of vaccine doses from India as scheduled: FM Dr Momen said China administered vaccines for their vast population, which they say without any side-effects apart from proving their vaccine to over 50 countries. “We’re continuing discussion with them (China) again so that they can help us.” India has also approved the use of Russian Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) said. Bangladesh was one of the few countries to get the vaccine first joining hands with its neighbour India amid high demand for it globally. “It could have been possible due to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s prudent leadership and farsightedness. She took the initiative from day one,” Dr Momen added.

Despite its high demand in India, Dhaka hopes that New Delhi will supply the rest of the Oxford-AstraZeneca covid-19 vaccine doses produced by Serum Institute of India (SII) to Bangladesh as agreed between the two countries with other options open.    “India is telling us that it’ll (March consignment) come but yet to arrive. We believe in their assurance,” Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen told UNB in an interview at his residence. He said Bangladesh received 3.2 million doses of vaccine as a gift from India but the consignment of 5 million doses that was scheduled to arrive in March from India is yet to come. Read Covishield and Covaxin: What we know about India's Covid-19 vaccines Bangladesh has purchased three crore doses of the vaccine from the Serum Institute and the first shipment of 50 lakh arrived here in January last week while the second consignment of 20 lakh doses of Covid-19 came in February. The Foreign Minister acknowledged the high demand of vaccines globally, including the demand by some political leaders in India to halt export. “I think it won’t be applicable for us as we’ve made arrangements and made advance payment. India announced the vaccine will be delivered as per schedule. And we believe it,” Dr Momen said. Also read: Funding for vaccine procurement earmarked in deals with WB, ADB: Dr Meerjady Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi asking him to place an immediate moratorium on the export of vaccines, fast track approval of other vaccines and open up vaccination to everyone who needs it.

More than one hundred economies have received life-saving COVID-19 vaccines from COVAX, the global mechanism for equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines, says the World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday. The milestone comes 42 days after the first COVAX doses were shipped and delivered internationally, to Ghana on 24 February 2021. COVAX has now delivered more than 38 million doses across six continents, supplied by three manufacturers, AstraZeneca, Pfizer-BioNTech and the Serum Institute of India (SII). Of the over 100 economies reached, 61 are among the 92 lower-income economies receiving vaccines funded through the Gavi COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC). Despite reduced supply availability in March and April – the result of vaccine manufacturers scaling and optimizing their production processes in the early phase of the rollout, as well as increased demand for COVID-19 vaccines in India – COVAX expects to deliver doses to all participating economies that have requested vaccines in the first half of the year. Also read: Covishield and Covaxin: What we know about India's Covid-19 vaccines “In four months since the very first mass vaccination outside a clinical setting anywhere in the world, it is tremendously gratifying that the roll-out of COVAX doses has already reached one hundred countries,” said Dr Seth Berkley, CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. Berkley said COVAX may be on track to deliver to all participating economies in the first half of the year yet they still face a daunting challenge as they seek to end the acute stage of the pandemic: they will only be safe when everybody is safe and our efforts to rapidly accelerate the volume of doses depend on the continued support of governments and vaccine manufacturers. “As we continue with the largest and most rapid global vaccine rollout in history, this is no time for complacency.” Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General said COVAX has given the world the best way to ensure the fastest, most equitable rollout of safe and effective vaccines to all at-risk people in every country on the planet. Also read: ‘We sink or we swim together’: 5 things you need to know about COVAX “If we are going to realize this great opportunity, countries, producers and the international system must come together to prioritize vaccine supply through COVAX. Our collective future, literally, depends on it.” Dr Richard Hatchett, CEO of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) this is a significant milestone in the fight against COVID-19. “Faced with the rapid spread of COVID-19 variants, global access to vaccines is fundamentally important to reduce the prevalence of the disease, slow down viral mutation, and hasten the end of the pandemic.” “In just a month and a half, the ambition of granting countries access to COVID vaccines is becoming a reality, thanks to the outstanding work of our partners in the COVAX Facility,” said Henrietta Fore, UNICEF Executive Director. “However, this is no time to celebrate; it is time to accelerate. With variants emerging all over the world, we need to speed up global rollout. To do this, we need governments, along with other partners, to take necessary steps to increase supply, including by simplifying barriers to intellectual property rights, eliminating direct and indirect measures that restrict exports of COVID-19 vaccines, and donating excess vaccine doses as quickly as possible.” Also read: WHO calls for prioritising vaccine contracts with COVAX According to its latest supply forecast, COVAX expects to deliver at least 2 billion doses of vaccines in 2021. In order to reach this goal, the COVAX Facility will continue to diversify its portfolio further, and will announce new agreements with vaccine manufacturers in due course. Furthermore, in March it was announced that the United States government will host the launch event for the 2021 Gavi COVAX AMC Invest Opportunity to catalyze further commitment and support for accelerated access to vaccines for AMC-supported economies. An additional US$ 2 billion is required in 2021 to finance and secure up to a total of 1.8 billion donor-funded doses of vaccines. COVAX is also working to secure additional sourcing of vaccines in the form of dose-sharing from higher income countries.

As pharmaceutical giants ramp up production in the race to vaccinate the world, one firm has shot into the lead.

Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Vikram K Doraiswami on Saturday reiterated that Bangladesh will receive its supply of the Coronavirus vaccine from an Indian manufacturer “quickly and urgently” as per previous assurances.

Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech have jointly communicated their pledge towards a smooth roll out of Covid-19 vaccines to India and the world.

Beximco Pharmaceuticals Ltd (BPL) has announced that it is investing in Indian vaccine manufacturer Serum Institute of India (SII) for the development of the Covid-19 vaccine.