No Demand For Covid Boosters, Says Adar Poonawalla As New Variants Appear

Serum Institute of India CEO Adar Poonawalla has said Covid boosters are not in demand even as new variants have emerged.

Serum Institute of India CEO Adar Poonawalla said the medical firm has stopped production of the Covishield vaccine since December 2021

Even as new Covid variants have emerged leading to a minor spike in cases, Serum Institute of India CEO Adar Poonawalla said there are no demands for Covid boosters and people are fed up with vaccines. He added that the medical firm has stopped production of the Covishield vaccine since December 2021. He also said 100 million doses of Covishield have already expired.

"If WHO allowed it, then maybe the Indian regulator will and should allow it, but again boosters have no demand now. There is general lethargy among people. People are fed of Covid vaccines. To be honest, I am also fed up with it. We all are," he added.

"Since December 2021, we have stopped the production of the Covishield vaccine. We had a stock of a few hundred million doses at that time and of that 100 million doses had already expired," Poonawalla said, as reported by news agency ANI. He was attending the annual general meeting of the developing countries Vaccine Manufacturers Network on Thursday in Pune where he addressed the media.

Speaking about the reluctance towards boosters and Covid shots, he said, "If WHO allowed it, then maybe the Indian regulator will and should allow it, but again boosters have no demand now. There is general lethargy among people. People are fed of Covid vaccines. To be honest, I am also fed up with it. We all are."

He said that some vaccines are allowed to be mixed with others for booster doses, "Now Covovax should be allowed be mixed soon in two weeks, So I think they will and should probably have the policy to mix boosters," he stated.