Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, Oct 21: Serum Institute of India (SII) had to postpone the production of the HPV vaccine by two years due to the focus on COVID. According to a top official, SII would begin providing the Indian government with tiny doses of the vaccine in early 2023.
Adar Poonawalla, the company’s chief executive, told reporters in Pune on Thursday night that exports would have to wait until 2024 because the company would need to increase its manufacturing capacity to over 150 million units.
Certain types of cervical cancer are prevented by HPV vaccinations.
The largest vaccine producer in the world, SII, hastened to produce numerous Covid vaccinations at its facilities here as soon as the injection was given the all-clear.
“The HPV facility was used by the Covid vaccines during the pandemic. That’s why we had to delay the larger launch to next year,” Poonawalla said, speaking on the sidelines of an event.
“We will be making a very small quantity and launching with the Indian government in the first quarter of next year. Followed by a capacity for 70 million doses which can go up to 150-200 million doses the year after that,” he added.
For domestic use of the HPV vaccinations, Poonawalla stated that the company already has approval from the Drugs Controller General of India. He also stated that once domestic usage begins, the company aims to obtain prequalification from the World Health Organization.
The company has already started the paperwork process with the World Health Organization (WHO), and by 2024, when it would have ramped up the capacities, it intends to start exporting to Unicef, the vaccination alliance Gavi, and African nations.
He continued by saying that the Indian immunisation programme will place numerous orders as well.
