50% of COVID-19 vaccines produced by Serum Institute of India to be allotted for India, says CEO

Guwahati: Serum Institute of India CEO Adar Poonawalla has said that 50 percent of the COVID-19 vaccines that will be manufactured by his firm will be supplied to India and the rest to other countries.

Poonawalla said the vaccine will mostly be purchased by governments, and people will receive them free of cost through immunization programs. Serum Institute of India is one of the world's biggest vaccine manufacturers.

During an interaction with media, Poonawalla that his company, one of the biggest in the marker, shall manufacture the vaccine in collaboration with Oxford University, which released the results of its first trials yesterday. According to the CEO, the firm is also seeking clearances to conduct Phase 3 human trials of the Oxford University vaccine in India.

Poonawala said that the company has conveyed to the Government that it wishes to give one-half of the vaccines to the Indian masses and the other half to other countries on a "pro-rata basis" every month. Poonawala expressed optimism that if the trials go as planned, his company could be able to produce 300-400 million doses by the first quarter of next year.

He further opined that the vaccine should first be made available to the elderly and immunity compromised – along with the frontliners.

He said that the price of the vaccine is likely to be around Rs. 1,000. However, most of the vaccines will the bought by the Government who will distribute them through the "immunization programs." However, once the pandemic is over, the vaccines are likely to be available in the market like any other drugs, he added.

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