Prime Minister Modi spoke about the coronavirus vaccine on Saturday in his virtual address to the UNGA
New Delhi:
Adar Poonawalla, Executive Director of the Serum Institute of India, took to Twitter today to praise Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech at the United Nations General Assembly on COVID-19 vaccines a day after he highlighted challenges in production. and distribution of vaccines in the country.
Serum Institute is the world’s largest manufacturer of vaccines by volume and is conducting trials of Covid vaccine candidates prior to mass production.
Mr. Poonawalla thanked the Prime Minister and said that it was clear that his “arrangements for India will address all the needs of the Indian people.” This comes after he asked the government on Twitter if they had Rs 80,000 crore to buy and distribute the vaccine to everyone in India.
“I ask this question, because we need to plan and guide vaccine manufacturers both in India and abroad to meet the needs of our country in terms of procurement and distribution,” he added.
We share and applaud your vision @Narendra Modi hee, about supplying vaccines to the world community. It is a proud moment for India, thank you for your leadership and support. It is clear that all your arrangements for India will take care of all the needs of the Indian people. https://t.co/b57TH8fDSB
– Adar Poonawalla (@adarpoonawalla) September 27, 2020
After Adar Poonawalla questioned government funding for vaccines, Ashwani Mahajan, the national co-convenor of Swadeshi Jagaran Manch, who is affiliated with Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), tweeted today that Mr. Poonawalla could be “forced to produce a vaccine free of exploitation rights “.
On Twitter, he had posted saying: “Let @adarpoonawalla know that India’s Patent Law has a section on Compulsory Licensing and we can force you and your peers to produce vaccines free of exploitation rights.
Poonawalla’s praise for the government came soon after.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said on Saturday in his virtual address to the UNGA that India can help lift the world out of the coronavirus crisis with mass distribution of vaccines once all trials are successfully completed.
He said India was moving forward with phase 3 clinical trials, the large-scale trials considered the gold standard for determining safety and efficacy, and would help all countries improve their cold chain and storage capacities for the delivery of vaccines.
“India’s vaccine production and capacity will help the world overcome this pandemic. India sent medical supplies to more than 150 countries during the coronavirus crisis,” Prime Minister Modi said.
Covishield, the vaccine developed by the University of Oxford and pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca and being tested by the Serum Institute in India, is currently in phase 2 and phase 3 human trials.
In July, when Poonawalla spoke to NDTV, he suggested that the Covishield vaccine, if available, would cost around 1,000 rupees. She also said that India would receive around 30 million doses per month and that it could take up to two years for the entire country to be inoculated.
In addition to Covishield, other candidate vaccines are also being tested across the country. Indigenous vaccine developers Bharat Biotech are in phase 2 trials with COVAXIN, and Zydus Cadila is awaiting approvals for phase 3 clinical trials for their vaccine.
India’s COVID-19 infection count is approaching the 60 lakh mark and is the second most affected country in the world after the United States.
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