Will try to supply more doses of COVID-19 vaccine to UK later: SII

After the UK Government’s warning of a likely reduction in supplies of Covid-19 vaccines, Serum Institute of India (SII) made it clear that further supplies will depend on the immunisation requirements in India.

New Delhi: Serum Institute of India (SII) has said it will try to supply more doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to the United Kingdom later, based on the current situation and requirement for the government immunisation programme in India.

The UK's National Health Service has warned of a significant reduction in weekly supplies of vaccines to protect against COVID-19 by the end of this month.

"Five million doses had been delivered a few weeks ago to the UK and we will try to supply more later, based on the current situation and requirement for the government immunisation programme in India," a spokesperson for SII told PTI.

Last month, SII CEO Adar Poonawalla had urged other countries to be patient as they wait for the supplies of COVID-19 vaccine, Covishield, as the company has been directed to prioritise the needs of India.

Apart from making efforts to meet the requirements of India, the vaccine major is also trying its best to balance the needs of the rest of the world, he had said.

"Dear countries and governments, as you await #COVISHIELD supplies, I humbly request you to please be patient, @SerumInstIndia has been directed to prioritise the huge needs of India and along with that balance the needs of the rest of the world. We are trying our best", Poonawalla had said in a tweet.

According to the official figures, Britain reported 6,303 cases on Thursday, up from 5,758 reported a day earlier.

“Another 6,303 people in Britain have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 4,280,882,” reports ANI.

Meanwhile, Britain's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) confirmed that the benefits of the vaccine in preventing COVID-19 far outweigh the risks, calling on people to continue to receive the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.

The statement came after a growing number of countries in the European Union suspended the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine as a precautionary measure, based on reports of blood clots in persons who had received the vaccine.

In India, the number of Covid-19 infections has been rising reaching nearly 40,000 cases in the last twenty-four hours.

So far, the Central Government has approved Covishield and Covaxin for its vaccination drive that began on January 16.

While Covishield, as known in India, has been developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca, Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech has developed Covaxin in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

In July 2020, AzstraZeneca and SII have reached a licensing agreement to supply one hundred crore doses of Covishield to middle and low income countries, including India.

(With Agency Inputs)