World Needs 15 Billion Covid-19 Shots: How Long Will It Take To Vaccinate Everyone? Serum Institute's Adar Poonawalla Reveals

Adar Poonawalla, the CEO of the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer has estimated that the world will need around 15 billion doses of the Covid-19 shot.

While on one hand where the World seeks for quick development of a vaccine for the novel Coronavirus, the Serum Institute of India (SII) has claimed that there won't be enough vaccines available for everyone in the world till the end of 2024. Adar Poonawalla, the CEO of the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer has estimated that the world will need around 15 billion doses of the Covid-19 shot if it is a two-dose vaccine, as is the case with measles or rotavirus. He has warned the world over the shortage of COVID-19 vaccine shots and said it will take at least four to five years to immunise the world against deadly COVID-19 infection. In an interview with Financial Times, Poonawalla said "It’s going to take four to five years until everyone gets the vaccine on this planet." He went on to say that the commitment far exceeded the capacity of other vaccine producers. "I know the world wants to be optimistic about it .... [but] I have not heard of anyone coming even close to that [level] right now," Poonawalla told the publication. SII has entered into a new landmark partnership with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, to accelerate the manufacture and delivery of up to 100 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines for India and low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The collaboration will provide upfront capital to SII to help them increase manufacturing capacity. SII shares a long history of successful partnerships with Gavi and pharmaceutical companies to manufacture vaccines that protect against meningitis, severe diarrhea, pneumonia, and measles.