Tag: vaccine manufacturer

In an interview to a London newspaper, Adar Poonawalla, head of the world’s largest vaccine producer Serum Institute of India (SII), has complained of receiving threats from politicians and “powerful men” demanding fast supply of the Covid-19 vaccine that his agency has been producing.
Poonawalla additionally complained of being “vilified and blamed”, and hinted at beginning a brand new vaccine manufacturing unit within the United Kingdom.
“‘Threats’ is an understatement” to explain what he confronted from folks demanding “instant supplies” of the vaccine, Poonawalla instructed The Times in an interview.
He mentioned he had obtained calls from “some of the most powerful men in India”, together with “Chief Ministers…, heads of business conglomerates and others”.
“The level of expectation and aggression is really unprecedented. It’s overwhelming. Everyone feels they should get the vaccine. They can’t understand why anyone else should get it before them,” Poonawalla instructed The Times.
“They are saying if you don’t give us the vaccine it’s not going to be good… It’s not foul language. It’s the tone. It’s the implication of what they might do if I don’t comply. It’s taking control. It’s coming over and basically surrounding the place and not letting us do anything unless we give in to their demands,” Poonawalla mentioned.
Poonawalla has been in London along with his household for the previous few days. The Times mentioned he “flew to London to join his wife and two children hours before Britain banned travellers from India eight days ago”.
Poonawalla instructed The Times that he was “staying here (in the UK) an extended time because I don’t want to go back to that situation”. “Everything falls on my shoulders but I can’t do it alone… I don’t want to be in a situation where you are just trying to do your job, and just because you can’t supply the needs of X, Y or Z you really don’t want to guess what they are going to do.”
Late on Saturday night time India time, the Serum CEO posted on Twitter: “Had an excellent meeting with all our partners & stakeholders in the U.K. Meanwhile, pleased to state that COVISHIELD’s production is in full swing in Pune. I look forward to reviewing operations upon my return in a few days.”
Asked who should carry the blame for the state of affairs India finds itself in, Poonawalla mentioned: “If I give you the right answer, or any answer, my head would be chopped off… I can’t comment on the elections or Kumbh Mela. It’s too sensitive… I don’t think even God could have forecast it was going to get this bad.”
Cyrus Poonawalla, father of the SII CEO and chairman of the Poonawalla Group, instructed The Indian Express: “Adar goes to various places as and when required due to work, and this time has taken his family with him.”
SII is producing the Covid-19 vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University, and has equipped 90 per cent of the vaccine doses which were given to Indian nationals up to now. In the previous few weeks, nonetheless, vaccines have been briefly provide within the nation, amidst a swelling demand.