Serum Institute of India is one of the biggest vaccine manufacturers across the world. 50 per cent of the COVID-19 vaccines that will be manufactured by the Serum Institute of India will be supplied to India and the rest 50 per cent will be for other countries, said the CEO Adar Poonawalla.
Poonawalla mentioned that these vaccines will be purchased by the Government. They will be supplied to the citizens free of cost under the immunization programs.
During an interaction with the media, Poonawalla said that his company – one of the biggest in the market – shall manufacture the vaccine in collaboration with Oxford University. The firm is also seeking clearances to conduct phase 3 human clinical trials of Oxford University in India.
He said that the company has conveyed to the Government that it wants to give one-half of the vaccines to Indians. The other half will go to other countries on a pro-rata basis every month. If the trials go as planned, the company could be able to produce 300-400 million doses by the first quarter of next year, added Poonawalla.
The vaccine should be first made available to the elderly and immunity compromised – along with the frontliners, said Poonawalla.
He said the price of the vaccine is likely to be around Rs 1,000. But the Government will be providing them free of cost under immunization programs. Once the pandemic is over, the vaccine will be available in the markets as any other medication.
