The Subject Expert Committee (SEC) under the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) will hold a meeting on Friday to deliberate on Serum Institute of India’s appeal to seek approval for its COVID-19 vaccine Covishield as a booster dose. The SII had recently filed an application with the DCGI regarding approval for a booster dose of Covishield.
The Serum Institute, headed by Adar Poonawalla, is the first vaccine manufacturing company in India to seek approval for a booster dose of COVOD vaccine.
After the emergence of the new highly transmissible COVID-19 variant Omicron, man health experts, including the Indian Medical Association has appealed to the government to give a green signal for the booster dose. However, the government has not taken any decision so far on additional/booster doses of COVID vaccines.
Meanwhile, SII CEO Adar Poonawalla recently said that SII is contemplating cutting down the monthly production of its Covisheld as the government had not placed enough orders for Covishield.
“I am actually in a dilemma that I never imagined… we are producing 250 million doses a month but the good news is that India has covered up a large part of its population and we would have completed all our orders to the ministry of health in a week’s time,” Poonawalla said, PTI quoted Poonawalla as saying.
The company has also asked the Centre to spell out its future requirement for both doses of vaccines and also for a booster dose.
“If they need more vaccines for the booster doses, we have already written to them (central government). Now it is their decision on the booster policy whether they will procure more and stockpile before the next surge happens if at all it comes. We are awaiting their directions,” Poonawalla added.
