India Vaccine Shortage: Adar Poonawalla Urges US Prez To Lift Curbs On Raw Material Exports For Covid Jabs

US has invoked Defense Production Act in order to boost its vaccine production which, experts believe, is resulting in export of critical raw materials being stopped. 

(File Photo/ AFP)

Poonawalla Requests US President: Amid the ongoing crisis of Coronavirus vaccine in the country, Serum Institute of India (SII) Chief Executive Adar Poonawalla on Friday took to Twitter and raised the issue of restrictions put up by the United States on export of raw materials used to make the Covid-19 jabs. 

SII, world's biggest vaccine maker, asked the newly appointed US President Joe Biden to lift the embargo imposed on US exports of raw materials in order to to help ramp up vaccine production in the country. 

"Respected @POTUS, if we are to truly unite in beating this virus, on behalf of the vaccine industry outside the U.S., I humbly request you to lift the embargo of raw material exports out of the U.S. so that vaccine production can ramp up. Your administration has the details," Poomawalla tweeted tagging Twitter handle of US President. 

SII is currently manufacturing anti-coronavirus vaccine Covishield, developed by Astrazeneca and Oxford University. The vaccine is not only being used in India, but exported to a number of countries.

According to a report by Associated Press, US has invoked Defense Production Act in order to boost its vaccine production which, experts believe, is resulting in export of critical raw materials being stopped. 

India is witnessing a massive surge in Covid caseloads in the second wave. Reports suggest that India will need to give 36.5 lakh shots per day until the end of July, in order to achieve the target of vaccinating 25 crore people with two doses.

The SII is aiming to expand its capacity by April end or early May by another 4-5 crore doses. At present, it can produce more than 7 crore doses a month.

The country on Thursday reported as many as 2,17,353 new cases of Coronavirus in the last 24 hours, taking the overall caseload to 1,42,91,917.