Serum Institute makes vaccines available at price of ‘a cup of tea’: Cyrus Poonawalla

Serum Institute of India chairman and Padma Bhushan awardee Cyrus Poonawalla said that poorer nations are using the vaccines made by his company as the doses have been made available at the cost of a cup of tea. He said that two-thirds of the world population has been protected by one or more of SII’s vaccines.   Poonawalla was speaking at the Maratha Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture’s (MCCIA) Pune International Business Summit. Here, Poonawalla was felicitated for receiving the Padma Bhushan Award.   “Most of our vaccines have been used by poorer nations. UNICEF and other philanthropic organisations came forward to buy vaccine which I provided along with the help of my staff and scientists to make it affordable at a price of a cup of tea and this has made the world self-sufficient for most of the communicable vaccines required to protect children and adults,” he said.   Poonawalla further explained that 90 per cent of COVID-19 vaccines required by India are manufactured on the principle of low cost, high value and maximum production. The pharma veteran further mentioned that 170 countries globally are using SII’s vaccines as the Pune-based vaccine maker was able to manufacture vaccines at an affordable cost with 100 percent quality.   “Experts from all over the world have estimated that around 30 million children’s lives were saved because we had provided the affordable vaccines,” he said. Towards the end of his address, Poonawalla said that he prayed to the Almighty to give his son Adar Poonawalla and his staff with the required strength to continue manufacturing vaccines at affordable prices.   Also read: COVID-19: Over 1.5 cr adolescents of 15-18 yrs age fully vaccinated, says Mandaviya