Delhi CM writes PM Modi, requests to allow other companies to manufacture Covaxin and Covishield

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting to allow other companies with "capabilities", to manufacture the two COVID-19 vaccines--Covaxin and Covishield--being already produced in India.

Kejriwal said the Union government can "do away" with vaccine production monopoly using the patent law.

"The second wave of COVID-19 is proving very fatal. This time the disease has reached the village. A large number of people are also dying. It is, therefore, important that all the citizens of the country are given two doses of vaccine at the earliest. Currently, only two companies in India are producing vaccines. It will not be possible to vaccinate the entire county on the basis of two companies. For this, the vaccine will have to be produced on a war footing," the letter from Kejriwal read.

"So I plead with you in the national interest that you allow the public production of the Corona vaccine. Not just two, every company in the country produces a vaccine that has the capability of safe production," the Delhi Chief Minister wrote.

He urged that the Central government should give the formulas of Covaxin and Covishield vaccines to all such companies which can produce them safely and accurately.

"If desired, the production companies can pay royalties to both these companies. The government can end the monopoly of the production of COVID vaccine by using the patent law of India. With this, before the third wave of the pandemic, we will be able to give a security guard to the whole country, and will also be able to save innocent people from dying," the letter read.

He added that in this process, his government is ready to play whatever part is set for them for the interest of the country.

( With inputs from ANI )