Will the government have Rs 80,000 crores for Covid vaccines, questions Poonawalla

Taking to twitter, the CEO of Serum Institute of India asked the government: “Will the government of India have 80,000 crores available, over the next year? Because that’s what @MoHW_INDIA needs to buy and distribute the vaccine to everyone in India.”

Business Desk, ETV Bharat: As the government has beefed up plans to buy and distribute Covid vaccine as soon as it is available, Adar Poonawalla asked the government about its financial readiness.

Taking to twitter, Poonawalla, CEO of Serum Institute of India, asked the government: “Will the government of India have 80,000 crores available, over the next year? Because that’s what @MoHW_INDIA needs to buy and distribute the vaccine to everyone in India.”

Terming this as a major challenge, he further tweeted, “I ask this question, because we need to plan and guide, vaccine manufacturers both in India and overseas to service the needs of our country in terms of procurement and distribution.”

It may be noted that Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII) on Monday announced that it began Phase-III human clinical trial of the Covid-19 vaccine being developed by Oxford University.

SII, the largest vaccine manufacturer in the world, is working with Oxford University and its partner AstraZeneca to manufacture the Covid-19 vaccine.

Last month, the company announced that it partnered with Gavi and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to produce 10 crore doses of Covid vaccine for India and other low and middle-income countries by 2021.

It has also announced that the vaccine will be priced at a maximum of $3 per dose (around Rs 225).