New Delhi, Dec 31 (IANS): Pune-based Covid vaccines manufacturer Serum Institute has requested the Indian health ministry and Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) for full market authorisation for its Covishield vaccine.

Adar Poonawalla, Serum Institute of India, Chief Executive Officer, on Friday said that the Covishield vaccine supply in India has crossed 1.25 billion doses so far. The government of India now has enough data for full market authorisation now, he said.

"Supplies of the COVISHIELD vaccine in India, have exceeded 1.25 billion doses. The government of India now has enough data for full market authorisation, and therefore Serum InstIndia has applied to the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation and Union Health Ministry for this permission", said CEO Poonawala in a tweet.

Serum Institute produces AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine under the brand name Covishield. The vaccine is one of India's two main vaccines against Covid pandemic under mass vaccination drive.

The CDSCO has granted emergency use authorisation to the Serum Institute of India's Covid vaccine Covocax recently. The vaccine was granted emergency use approval by the World Health Organisation earlier this month.

Meanwhile, with the administration of 66,65,290 vaccine doses in the last 24 hours, India's Covid inoculation coverage has reached 144.54 crore as of Friday morning. More than 150.66 crore vaccine doses have been provided to states/UTs so far through Government of India and through direct state procurement category.