India requires Rs 80,000 cr for vaccine distribution next year: SII

New Delhi, Dec 19 Pune-based vaccine-maker Serum Institute of India, which has partnered with AstraZeneca to manufacture the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, on Saturday said that the country would require a massive funding of Rs 80,000 crore for distribution of the Covid vaccine for the next one year.

The Central government plans to vaccinate nearly 30 crore people in the first phase of drive. It will be offered to one crore healthcare workers, along with two crore frontline and essential workers and 27 crore elderly, mostly above the age of 50 years with comorbidities.

Three vaccine candidates - Serum Institute-Oxford's Covishield, Bharat Biotech's Covaxin and Pfizer vaccine are in the fray for emergency use authorization. The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation

( With inputs from IANS )