SII, Bharat Biotech Pledge ‘Smooth Roll-out’ of COVID-19 Vaccines

The vaccine candidates of Serum Institute and Bharat Biotech have received emergency approval in India.

The Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech, both of whose vaccines have received emergency approval in India, on Tuesday, 5 January, issued a joint statement to "communicate their pledge towards a smooth rollout of COVID-19 vaccines to India and the world."

Coming amid concerns expressed over the approval process for the vaccines, especially that of Bharat Biotech's 'Covaxin', the statement said, "Adar Poonawalla and Dr Krishna Ella, jointly on behalf of the two companies, today communicated their combined intent to develop, manufacture and supply the COVID-19 vaccines for India and globally. They said, the more important task in front of them is saving the lives and livelihoods of populations in India and the world."

"Now that two COVID-19 vaccines have been issued emergency use authorisation in India, the focus is on manufacturing, supply and distribution, such that populations that need it the most receive high quality, safe and efficacious vaccines. Both our companies are fully engaged in this activity and consider it our duty to the nation and the world at large to ensure smooth rollout of vaccine," it added.

Poonawalla vs Ella

This statement comes after a public spat between Bharat Biotech’s Dr Ella and Serum Institute’s Adar Poonawalla.

Poonawalla had told NDTV that only Pfizer, Moderna and Oxford-AstraZeneca had proven efficacy, saying that other vaccine candidates, including Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin, were “safe, just like water.”

In response to this, an indignant Ella had retorted “We do 200 percent honest clinical trials and yet we receive backlash. If I am wrong, tell me. Some companies have branded me like 'water'. I want to deny that. We are scientists."