Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to visit the Serum Institue of India (SII) and Gennova Biopharmaceuticals in Pune, to see the production and proposed distribution plan of the Covid-19 vaccine, a senior said on Thursday.
#COVID19Vaccine: PM @narendramodi will visit Serum Institute of India on 28 November https://t.co/MtbMy3L4p4 pic.twitter.com/YThi8SVkbA
— Mint (@livemint) November 26, 2020
“We have received a confirmation about the PM’s visit to the Serum Institue of India on Saturday,” Pune Divisional Commissioner Saurabh Rao told PTI. However, the Prime Minister’s office has not confirmed his visit. Modi is likely visiting to review the status of the coronavirus vaccines that are undergoing clinical trials.
The SII has partnered with pharma giant AstraZeneca and Oxford university for a vaccine dubbed as Covishield, which is currently in the Phase III clinical trial in India. AstraZeneca on November 23 revealed that its vaccine could be up to 90% effective. Serum Institute chief said that India could approve en=mergency use by December of this year.
I am delighted to hear that, Covishield, a low-cost, logistically manageable & soon to be widely available, #COVID19 vaccine, will offer protection up to 90% in one type of dosage regime and 62% in the other dosage regime. Further details on this, will be provided this evening. https://t.co/KCr3GmROiW
— Adar Poonawalla (@adarpoonawalla) November 23, 2020