Many Indian companies, including a few from the Tata Group as well as the JSW Group are trying to obtain a few lakh doses of the COVID-19 vaccine for their employees and their families.
These companies are discussing with the vaccine-manufacturing pharmas ways to make double shots of the vaccine available for their staff. If the talks are successful, the staff working in the manufacturing units will receive the shots first.
On the other hand, in the US, a federal deal has been struck to increase the speed of vaccine production. The vaccine manufacturers will be allowed to set aside doses of vaccine for their own employees and their families, so that they do not have to wait in line for their turn as per the schedule of the public health policymakers.
Emergent BioSolutions, the Maryland-based manufacturer, hasd entered into a deal in June to speed up manufacturing capabilities and capacity for a potential vaccine. It is said to have entered into deals worth hundreds of millions of dollars to manufacture the vaccine doses for AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson and Novavax, as part of ‘Operation Warp Speed’.
Serum Institute of India as well as Bharat Biotech have already started delivering their vaccines across India, with the inoculation process to officially begin today, that is, January 16.
Healthcare and frontline workers will receive the vaccines first before it becomes available for others.
