'Will Return To India In Few Days': Adar Poonawalla After Receiving 'Death Threats' Over Covid Vaccine Shortage

In an interview with 'The Times',  SII CEO Adar Poonawalla indicated that he had been allegedly receiving threats in India and that he along with his family had come to London after unprecedented "pressure and aggression" over the demand for COVID-19 vaccines.

The Serum Institute of India (SII) CEO Adar Poonawalla on Saturday said that he will return to India in a few days. He is currently in the UK.

Poonawalla on his official Twitter handle writes, "Had an excellent meeting with all our partners & stakeholders in the U.K. Meanwhile, pleased to state that COVISHIELD’s production is in full swing in Pune. I look forward to reviewing operations upon my return in a few days."

In an interview with 'The Times',  he indicated that he had been allegedly receiving threats in India and that he along with his family had come to London after unprecedented "pressure and aggression" over the demand for COVID-19 vaccines.

Meanwhile, Indian authorities are scrambling for vaccines, medicines, and oxygen as the nation faces its worst health crisis. The Union health ministry on Sunday morning reported that the country logged as many as 3,92,488 new cases of coronavirus in the last 24 hours, and 3689 deaths pushing the cumulative count to 1,95,57,457. 

"I'm staying here for an extended period because I don't want to go back to that situation," The Times quoted Poonawalla in an interview published on Saturday.

"I don't want to be in a situation where you are trying to do your job and just because you can't supply the needs of X, Y or Z, you really don't want to guess what they are going to do," he had said, adding, "Everything falls on my shoulders, but I can't do it alone."

(With inputs from news agencies.)