Adar Poonawalla thanks Biden, Jaishankar for policy change to boost COVID-19 vaccine production

Serum Institute of India CEO Adar Poonawalla on Friday thanked US President Joe Biden and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar for a policy change that will boost the production of COVID-19 vaccines in India and globally.

Confident of the availability of COVID-19 vaccines in the US, the Biden administration has removed Defense Production Act priority ratings on AstraZeneca, Novavax and Sanofi vaccines.

While the firms will continue to make these three vaccines, this action will allow US-based companies that supply these vaccine manufacturers to make their own decisions on which orders to fulfil first.

Sharing the link of a press briefing by White House COVID-19 response team and public health officials, Poonawalla said, "Thanks to the efforts of @POTUS, @WhiteHouse, & @DrSJaishankar, 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."

Earlier in April, Poonawalla had tweeted, "Respected @POTUS, if we are to truly unite in beating this virus, on behalf of the vaccine industry outside the U.S., I humbly request you to lift the embargo of raw material exports out of the U.S. so that vaccine production can ramp up. Your administration has the details".

Also read: DCGI approves Serum's request to manufacture Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine in India