First commercial batch of Covaxin released from Bharat Biotech's new plant

The first commercial batch of Covaxin was released on Sunday from the new plant of Bharat Biotech at Ankleshwar in Gujarat's Bharuch district by Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya.

"Vaccination is the most important thing to strengthen the country's fight against coronavirus. Released the first commercial batch of #COVAXIN from Bharat Biotech's plant at Ankleshwar, Gujarat today. This will increase the supply of vaccine in the country and will help the vaccine reach every Indian," Mandaviya tweeted soon after the event.

The government had earlier this month given approval to Bharat Biotech's Ankleshwar-based manufacturing plant to produce anti-COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin.

In May, Bharat Biotech announced that it planned to produce an additional 200 million doses of Covaxin at its subsidiary's Ankleshwar-based facility. The Hyderabad-based firm had noted that it would utilise the manufacturing plant of its wholly-owned unit, Chiron Behring, to add another 200 million doses of Covaxin.

India administered 63.09 crore doses of COVID-19 vaccination in a nationwide drive till Sunday morning, as per the data released by the Union Health Ministry.