Adar Poonawalla made the statement as a panelist during the ‘Meeting the Challenge of Vaccine Equity’ session organised by the WEF.
The vaccination rate needs to be faster worldwide for the Covid-19 pandemic to end, Serum Institute of India (SII) CEO Adar Poonawalla said while speaking at the World Economic Forum (WEF).
Poonawalla made the statement as a panelist during the ‘Meeting the Challenge of Vaccine Equity’ session organised by the WEF.
“The Covid vaccine supply is no longer a constraint… and we are in a much better place than last year to meet the demands,” Poonawalla said.
He said that the countries need to come together for a clear standard for vaccine trials and introduce a smooth framework for its approval and distribution, adding that the governments should also come to agreements over export restrictions that can help deal better with the pandemic considering there is no longer any constraint in the vaccine production, reported Indian Express.
SII, which manufacturers Covishield, curtailed production at the end of 2021. However, Poonawalla said that the company supplied over a billion doses to African continents through Covax during the first quarter.
In addition to this, the SII CEO called for a centralised regulatory body for vaccine certificates to make travel more convenient during the pandemic. Michael Ryan, Executive Director, WHO health emergencies programme, said that vaccines had a crucial role to play. “There is no way to end this pandemic without vaccines,” he said.
Other panelists also said that the rapid development of the COVID-19 vaccine was a scientific achievement. The panelists included Gabriela Bucher, Executive Director, Oxfam International; Seth F Berkley Chief Executive Officer, GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance; and John Nikengasong, director, Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.