Bharat Biotech, Hyderabad based vaccine manufacturer has been supplying its COVID-19 vaccine ‘Covaxin’ directly to 14 states beginning May 1. In a tweet joint managing director of Bharat Biotech Suchitra Ella said, “Glad to announce that Bharat Biotech confirms direct supply of COVAXIN to some state government since 1st May 2021, based on the allocation received by the GoI”. Here the 14 state includes Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Madhva Pradesh, Odhisha, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
Previously the vaccine was distributed only for those above 45 years and all the frontline warriors but now the centre had recently announced expansion of the COVID-19 vaccination by allowing every citizen above 18 years of age. Bharat Biotech had earlier in the last week of April announced a price cut of its vaccine from Rs. 600/- to Rs. 400/- per dose.