As the acute vaccine shortage continues across India, Bloomberg reports as per sources that the Modi-govt had only placed an order for 110 million vaccines from Serum since sales started in December. A 110 millon doses is only enough to cover 4% of India's eligible population for the inoculation drive.
Sources also told Bloomberg that Serum though is now getting many orders from states is facing difficulty keeping up as production facilities can produce only 60 to 70 million doses a month.
Serum, the world's largest vaccine manufacturer hopes to ramp up capacity to 100 million by July.
The government however refuting it's laxity in ordering said it placed a third order last month for 160 million vaccine doses to be delivered over the following three months.
The Centre had on April 28 ordered 110 million doses of Covishield, made by Serum Institute of India (SII) and 50 million of Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin to cover inoculations until July, the government said in a statement on Monday.