India could get Oxford Covid vaccine by Feb 2021; Rs 1000 for 2 doses: Serum's Poonawalla

CEO of Serum Institute of India (SII) ar Poonawalla on Thursday said Oxford COVID-19 vaccine should be available for healthcare workers and elderly people by around February next year and by April for general citizens. He said it will be priced at a maximum of Rs 1,000 for two necessary doses for public, depending on final trial results and regulatory approvals. 

Poonawalla's remarks come on back of a series of key developments in race for a vaccine, with two US vaccines - by Pfizer and Moderna - showing 95%+ success rate in preliminary findings from ir st-3 trials, and AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine reporting 99% 'strong immune response' in elderly people, as per a study published in Lancet.

'It will be 2024 for everybody': Poonawalla

"Probably by 2024, every Indian will get vaccinated," he said at Hindustan Times Leership Summit (HTLS), 2020. "It will probably take two or three years for every Indian to get iculated, t just because of supply constraints but because you need budget, vaccine, logistics, infrastructure and n, people should be willing to take vaccine. So se are factors that le up to being able to vaccinate 80-90% of population. It will be 2024 for everybody, if willing to take a two-dose vaccine, to be vaccinated," Poonawalla said.

Asked at what price public will get it, he said it will be around USD 5-6 per dose with an MRP of around Rs 1,000 for two necessary doses. " government of India will be getting it at a far cheaper price at around USD 3-4 because it will be buying in a large volume and get access to price that is similar to what COVAX has got. We are still pricing it far cheaper and more affordable than or vaccines we have in market today," Poonawalla said.

Asked about efficacy of vaccine, he said Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is so far proving to work very well even in elderly people, which was a concern earlier. Poonawalla stated that as soon as UK authorities and European Medicines Evaluation ncy (EMEA) approve it for emergency use, it will apply to drug controller for emergency use authorisation in India.

'We want to handle India as a priority first'

"But that will be for a limited use for frontline workers, healthcare workers and elderly people," he ded. Children would have to wait a little longer till safety data is out, but good news is that COVID-19 is t so b and serious for m, Poonawalla said. SII chief said Oxford vaccine is affordable, safe and stored at a temperature of two to eight degrees Celsius, which is an ideal temperature for it to be stored in cold stors of India.

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He said SII plans to make about 10 crore doses per month from February. As regards how many doses would be provided to India, Poonawalla said talks are still going on and agreement has been arrived at in this regard. "India wants around 400 million doses by July. I do t kw if it will take all from Serum Institute. We are gearing up to offer that kind of volume to India and still have a few 100 million to offer to COVAX by July and August. agreement so far," he said.

Poonawala said SII is t entering into any agreement with or countries at this moment as India is its priority. "We have t signed and committed anything else beyond Banglesh at moment. We really do t want to partner right w with many countries because we will t have eugh stocks to deliver. We want to handle India as a priority first and man Africa at same time and n help out or countries," he said.

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(With PTI inputs)