A day after highlighting the challenges in India’s plan for the production and distribution of the Covid-19 vaccine, Adar Poonawalla, CEO of the local vaccine maker Serum Institute of India (SII), took to Twitter to praise the first. Minister Narendra Modi for his speech at the United Nations General Assembly on vaccines.
Modi, in his speech at the UN General Assembly on Saturday, assured the world that India’s vaccine production and delivery capacity will be used to aid humanity in the COVID-19 crisis, his comments were met with concern for Poonawalla, who asked if the Center had Rs 80 billion available over the next year to distribute the vaccine to Indians.
On Sunday, however, the chief executive of the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer thanked the prime minister and said it was clear that his “arrangements for India will address all the needs of the Indian people.”
“We share and applaud your vision @narendramodi ji, on providing vaccines to the global community. It is a proud moment for India, thank you for your leadership and support. It is clear that all his arrangements for India will address all the needs of the Indian people, ”Poonawalla tweeted.
On Saturday, after Modi’s virtual speech at the UNGA, where he said that India can help lift the world out of the coronavirus crisis with the mass distribution of vaccines once all the trials are successfully completed, Poonawalla asked: “Question quick; will the government of India have Rs 80 billion available next year? “Poonawalla asked in a tweet. “Because that is what @MoHFW_INDIA needs, to buy and distribute the vaccine to everyone in India. This is the next challenge we have to face. @PMOIndia.”
The University of Oxford has reported satisfactory progress on vaccine test results and is conducting larger field trials in the UK. In India, it has chosen SII as its manufacturing partner, which has to run field tests before getting the final go-ahead to ensure they are safe and effective for Indians.
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