'Serum Institute Directed To Prioritise India Needs', Adar Poonawalla Asks World To Be Patient

Apart from making efforts to meet the requirements of India, the company is also trying its best to balance the needs of the rest of the world, Adar Poonawalla added.

Outlook Web Bureau

Updated on: 21 February 2021 12:11 pm

Urging other countries to be patient as they wait for the supplies of Covid-19 vaccine, Adar Poonawalla, CEO of vaccine major Serum Institute of India (SII), on Sunday said that the company has been directed to prioritise the needs of India.

Apart from making efforts to meet the requirements of India, the company is also trying its best to balance the needs of the rest of the world, he added.

"Dear countries and governments, as you await #COVISHIELD supplies, I humbly request you to please be patient, @SerumInstIndia has been directed to prioritise the huge needs of India and along with that balance the needs of the rest of the world. We are trying our best", Poonawalla said in a tweet.

Dear countries & governments, as you await #COVISHIELD supplies, I humbly request you to please be patient, @SerumInstIndia has been directed to prioritise the huge needs of India and along with that balance the needs of the rest of the world. We are trying our best.
— Adar Poonawalla (@adarpoonawalla) February 21, 2021

On February 15, the World Health Organisation (WHO) listed two versions of the AstraZeneca/Oxford COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use, giving the green light for these vaccines to be rolled out globally through COVAX.

The vaccines are produced by AstraZeneca-SKBio (Republic of Korea) and the Serum Institute of India.

(With PTI inputs.)