Officer: Government ensured speedier manufacture of Covid vaccine

Ambika Sharma

Tribune News Service

Kasauli, November 25

A slew of measures were reportedly taken during the pandemic to speed up vaccine production without compromising on the quality.

Dr S Eswara Reddy, Joint Drugs Controller General of India, Central Drugs Standards Control Organisation (CDSCO), who was here to address a Ministry of Health and Family Welfare’s knowledge-sharing workshop with mediapersons today, said these measures included accelerated review of vaccine dossiers, frequent subject expert committee (SEC) meetings, rolling review, waiver of bridging trails, besides notification of additional labs for testing, which helped speed up clearances without compromising the quality of vaccines.

Additional measures such as stockpiling of vaccines under clinical trials, parallel testing and handholding the manufacturers to enhance production, import of raw materials and other clearances were also put in place to facilitate speedier manufacturing of Covid vaccines by the CDSCO.

“As many as 12 vaccines are under clinical trials, while 18 are under preclinical testing and development, which includes three vaccines under clinical trial in the children’s age group,” said Dr Reddy, adding that India had huge capacity to manufacture vaccines.

Elaborating on other key measures, he said: “Manpower has been enhanced multiple times in the last one decade — both in the regular and contractual category — in the CDSCO, given its expanding role and requirement. Appointing 465 inspectors and other regulatory staff for medical device regulation was under active consideration of the ministry as it was an emerging area of concern.”

Dr Dimple Kasana, Director, Central Research Institute, said the institute had initiated the development of therapeutic antisera for Covid-19 in collaboration with ICMR-National Institute of Virology and an ICMR-approved Covid testing lab was set up in 2020.

She said the DPT vaccine manufactured in the new C-Good Manufacturing Practices lab was for the universal immunisation programme since 2020.