Bharat Biotech & SII issue joint statement; pledge global access to COVID-19 vaccines

Serum Institute of India (SII) and Bharat Biotech on Tuesday in a joint statement communicated ir pledge towards a smooth rollout of COVID-19 vaccines to India and World. According to statement, SII chief Adar Poonawala and Bharat Biotech CEO and MD Dr. Krishna Ella, jointly on behalf of two companies, communicated ir combined intent to develop manufacture and supply COVID-19 vaccines for India and abroad.

Serum Institute-Bharat Biotech issue joint statement

y said, " more important task in front of m is saving lives and livelihoods of populations in India and world. Vaccines are a global public health good and y have power to save lives and accelerate return to ecomic rmalcy at earliest."

"w that two COVID-19 vaccines have been issued EUA (emergency use authorization) in India, focus is on manufacturing, supply and distribution, such that populations that need it most receive high quality, safe and efficacious vaccines. Both our companies are fully engd in this activity and consider it our duty to nation and world at large to ensure a smooth rollout of vaccines. Each of our Companies continue ir COVID-19 vaccines development activities as planned," statement said.

Earlier in day, Adar Poonawalla also clarified that export of vaccines is permitted to all countries. On Monday, Associated Press had quoted Adar Poonawalla as saying that India had barred export of Oxford-AstraZeneca Coronavirus vaccine for several months. 

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Vaccine row erupts

joint statement comes after a vaccine row erupted after Adar Poonawalla, in an interview to a private news channel on Sunday, said that only three vaccines passed all scientific evaluations -- Pfizer-BioNTech, Modera and Oxford-AstraZeneca -- and that while ors were safe, "safe like water", ir effectiveness had t yet been evaluated. To this, Bharat Biotech's Krishna Ella without naming Adar Poonawalla on Monday said, "We do 200% honest clinical trials and yet we receive backlash. If I am wrong, tell me. Some companies have branded me like water." 

India's drugs regulator DCGI on Sunday approved Oxford's COVID-19 vaccine Covishield, manufactured by Pune-based Serum Institute, as well as indigeusly developed Covaxin of Bharat Biotech for restricted emergency use in country, paving way for a massive iculation drive.

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