“India’s huge vaccine needs should be prioritized, world needs to be patient” says Adar Poonawalla

The Serum Institute of India (SII) has asked the vaccine maker to prioritize India’s vaccine needs and balance it out with the supplies to the rest of the world who are procuring the AstraZeneca vaccine doses from India.

SII CEO Adar Poonawalla has said, “Serum Institute of India has been directed to prioritize the huge needs of India and along with that balance the needs of the rest of the world.” Poonawalla has asked countries and governments to “be patient” while waiting for the supplies of the vaccine.

In a tweet, Adar Poonawalla has said, “Dear countries & governments, as you await COVISHIELD supplies, I humbly request you to please be patient, Serum Institute of India has been directed to prioritize the huge needs of India and along with that balance the needs of the rest of the world. We are trying our best.

Dear countries & governments, as you await #COVISHIELD supplies, I humbly request you to please be patient, @SerumInstIndia has been directed to prioritise the huge needs of India and along with that balance the needs of the rest of the world. We are trying our best.

— Adar Poonawalla (@adarpoonawalla) February 21, 2021

On the 17th of this month, India announced a gift of 2 lakh doses of Covid-19 vaccines for UN peacekeepers.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar made an announcement at the UN Security Council open debate on the implementation of resolution 2532 (2020) on the remission of hostilities in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Under India’s initiative of “Vaccine Maitri”, the country has started supplying vaccines to nations across the globe and has become a significant source of supply for the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Covax initiative to get vaccines to poor nations.