tray of vaccine vials

COVID-19 vaccine production, to September 30th, 2021

Worldwide monthly output of approved COVID-19 vaccines jumped by 25% in September to nearly 1.58 billion doses, with especially impressive 65% rises in India and 45% in the European Union. Thailand also emerged as a major manufacturer of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, producing 52.5 million doses in the month compared with just 8.4 million in August. Output in American plants remains volatile, with output 47% lower in September than August. At this monthly pace, total output by the end of 2021 looks set to near 12 billion doses.



The two Chinese manufacturers, Sinovac and Sinopharm, have extended their leads as the world's biggest in cumulative terms, but growing output in India, Thailand and Argentina has now pushed Oxford/AstraZeneca into second place in terms of monthly output, quite close behind Sinovac, which is good news for the COVAX global vaccines initiative, of which it is the major contracted supplier. India looks set to resume exports of COVID-19 vaccines towards the end of this year.




Photo by Mat Napo on Unsplash

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