Serum Institute of India (SII) which is based in Pune stated that it is hopeful of getting regulatory approval of Covid-19 vaccine – ‘Covishield’ in ‘few days’. SII has partnered with pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca and the Oxford University for making the vaccine for which they are is conducting trials in India also.

Serum Institute CEO Adar Poonawalla while addressing a press conference told that  “We have 40-50 million doses of Covishield stockpiled. Once we get regulatory approvals in a few days, it will be down to the government to decide how much they can take and how fast. We will be producing around 300 million doses by July 2021.”

He also informed that ” As India is a part of COVAX. We will keep giving 50 per cent of everything we make to India and to COVAX at the same time. India has such a large population that we will probably end up giving the majority of those 50 million doses to India first.”

Poonawalla while making it straight echoed that the first six months of 2021 will see a shortage globally. Nobody can help that. But we will see easing off by August-September 2021 as other vaccine manufactures also being able to supply.

It is to be seen how soon the Indian drug regulatory body gives the approval as it will also keep an eye on UK’s approval to this vaccine before India give approval.

From today Central Government has started the ‘dry run‘ on vaccine administration in four Indian states in order to test the ecosystem towards individual state’s preparedness to undertake Covid-19 vaccination.