New Delhi: Adar Poonawalla, the CEO of Serum Institute, has thanked the US and India for important policy change that reduces restrictions faced in manufacturing Covid-19 vaccines.
He expressed hope that this step will contribute to boosting SII's vaccine production capacity and strengthening "united fight" against the Coronavirus pandemic.
In a tweet, Poonawalla thanked US President Joe Biden and Externals Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and wrote: “This policy change will hopefully increase the supply of raw materials globally and to India; boosting our vaccine production capacity and strengthening our united fight against this pandemic."
The Biden administration previously announced that the removal of 1950 Defense Production Act priority ratings on AstraZeneca, Novavax and Sanofi vaccines.
"We have secured enough vaccine supply for all Americans... We are confident in our supply of our authorized vaccines. As a result, we’re removing the DPA priority ratings for AstraZeneca, Novavax, and Sanofi. While the manufacturers will continue to make these three vaccines, this action will allow U.S.-based companies that supply these vaccine manufacturers to make their own decisions on which orders to fulfill first," National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said.
The law was invoked to prioritise vaccine supplies for American manufacturers. Now, that the US government is assured of having adequate stock, the US-based companies have been allowed to make their own decisions on which orders to fulfill first with respect to these vaccine manufacturers.
In April this year, Adar Poonawalla issued a public appeal to US President Joe Biden, urging the POTUS "to lift the embargo of raw material exports out of the U.S. so that vaccine production can ramp up".
US' Covid Vaccine Initiative
Meanwhile, the US has announced its new initiative "Strategy for Global Vaccine Sharing". US Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the Biden administration's plans to make Covid vaccines available to other countries, including India.
According to a White House fact sheet, nearly 19 million vaccines will be shared through COVAX, UN's global vaccine sharing programme. Of these, approximately six million will be given for South and Central America to the following countries: Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Peru, Ecuador, Paraguay, Bolivia, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, Haiti, and other Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries, as well as the Dominican Republic.
About 7 million doses are going to be sent to these countries in Asia: India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Maldives, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Laos, Papua New Guinea, Taiwan, and the Pacific Islands.
Approximately five million are kept for Africa, to be shared with countries that will be selected in coordination with the African Union.
The White House further informed that approximately 6 million will be targeted toward regional priorities and partner recipients, including Mexico, Canada, and the Republic of Korea, West Bank and Gaza, Ukraine, Kosovo, Haiti, Georgia, Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, and Yemen, as well as for United Nations frontline workers.