Pune: Chairman of the Indian Institute (SII) and MD Cyrus Poonawalla on Friday gathered doubts about government claims about vaccination above 18 by the end of this year and provided 45 crore doses in September.
He also said mixing two different vaccines would not be recommended.
“Politicians often bully.
Producing 10 crore doses a month is not an easy task,” he said while answering questions about vaccination claims and the availability of doses.
Poonawalla praised the center to relieve the bureaucratic approval and paved the way for the manufacture of a vaccine that was faster, but said the ban on vaccine exports must be relaxed.
He remembered how the industry was used to face difficulties in securing permits and harassment from bureaucrats 50 years ago.
“The Modi government has made good reform in terms of drug licensing.
This has helped quickly manufacture Covid vaccines.
But the prohibition of vaccine export is very bad.
My child asked me not to talk about it.
Export must begin.
Nearly 150-170 countries need a vaccine Covid and we can’t give them, “he said.
Poonawalla spoke to reporters after he was given a prestigious Local Local award by Tilak Smarak Trust in Pune on Friday.
Deepak Tilak, the grandson of Local Local Local, and former Minister of Home Sushilkumar Shinde Sharing Dais.
Poonawalla said no company in the world was able to supply 10-12 crore doses in a month.
“We can do it because we have made advanced preparations for it and have made investment worth crores from rupees so we can provide around 110-120 crore doses per year.
These numbers can help you count.
Other companies can also chip by providing one or two doses of crore per month, which will help increase the total potential of Indian immunization, “he said.
In the vaccine cocktail, said Poonawalla, “it is very wrong to encourage mixing two different vaccines.
This is a risky decision and waste of time.
If one vaccine functions, why do we have to mix it unnecessary and create complications? This must be fully discouraged .
“Poonawalla also suggested the need for a booster dose after the six-month gap posted full vaccination.
However, he felt that the gap between the first two doses should not be extended to three months as done by “Modi Government” and a better two-month gap.
Replying to the question about the launch of Novovax, Poonawalla said, “Unless we get a license to launch Novovax, we cannot launch vaccines.
US parent companies have got some problems with the FDA country, which must be sorted by October-end.
After they get a license, we will Do it.
There are several attempts to get a license before the parent company but it is a climbing task.
“Poonawalla said he did not agree with the idea of introducing locking.
“There may be more cases at first if the lock is not worn, but then the herd of immunity gradually develops in such a scenario.
The immunity of herds can be preferred from the lock because the Covid mortality rate is very low,” he said.
At the losses faced by SII because it provides a lower cost covishield, Poonawalla said the company has lost a large amount in terms of profit, but not from making vaccines.
“Take the example of the measles vaccine, which we provide at the cost of Rs 8-10 per dose to the Government of India while the same thing is given by a foreign country to us at Rs 50 per dose.
It answers the sacrifice that Poonawalllas makes to protect the Indian population,” he said.
Responding to the question of the “threat” that the family had to faced earlier this year, Poonawalla said the problem exploded outside the proportion.
“There is no reason for people to exaggerate that my child must leave the country because of that.
It was the annual summer vacation he did,” he said.
Covid: Head of SII doubt if VaxCcine Drive can cover all adults at the end of the year
