Hoping for Covid-19 vaccine approval in few days, 40-50 million doses prepared: Serum Institute chief

New Delhi: In what might be termed as New Year reward, Adar Poonawalla, Chief Executive Officer, Serum Institute of India on Monday stated 40-50 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine have already been stockpiled, including that Covishield rollout is predicted in January.
“We have 40-50 million doses of Covishield stockpiled. Once we get regulatory approvals in a few days, it will be down to the government to decide how much they can take and how fast. We will be producing around 300 million doses by July 2021,” stated Poonawalla whereas doing a media interplay through video convention.
“Initially, in one or two months the offtake will be slow. Once the logistics and everything work out well we can expect the rollout for Covishield in January,” he stated.
Asked whether or not there’s any concern relating to COVID-19 vaccine getting approval, he stated, “Regulators are evaluating the data…Lot of people keep raising issues. There are no concerns at all. 92 to 95 per cent vaccine efficiency is there. Emergency use of vaccine may come in the end of December or maybe in January in the UK and we are hoping the same in India as well. We should wait for some good news.”

The first six months of 2021 will see a scarcity globally. Nobody can assist that. But we’ll see easing off by August-September 2021 as different vaccine manufactures additionally with the ability to provide: Adar Poonawalla, Serum Institute of India https://t.co/itZfWEj2FN
— ANI (@ANI) December 28, 2020

“India is a part of ‘COVAX’. We will keep giving 50 per cent of everything we make to India and to COVAX at the same time. India has such a large population that we will probably end up giving the majority of those 50 million doses to India first,” Poonawalla stated.
He, nevertheless, talked about that the primary six months of 2021 will see a scarcity of vaccines globally.
“Nobody can help that. But we will see easing off by August-September 2021 as other vaccine manufactures also being able to supply,” he added.