The head of the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer on Friday (16) asked US President Joe Biden to do so Lift the ban on exporting raw materials to produce more vaccines against COVID-19.
“Respected President of the United States, if we really want to unite to beat this virus, on behalf of the vaccine industry outside the United States, I humbly request that they lift the ban on the export of raw materials so that vaccine production can increase,” said Adar Poonawala.
Poonawala is the CEO and owner of the Serum Institute of India. The company has entered into an agreement to supply 1.1 billion doses of Covax, a coalition of more than 150 countries led by the World Health Organization (WHO) to purchase and distribute vaccines against Covid-19 to poor countries.
Biden has not yet responded to the unusual request made by the CEO of the Instituto Serum Institute, which was submitted on a social network and marked the official account of the Presidency of the United States.
The largest vaccine producer in the world by volume, The serum institute manufactures a vaccine Oxford / AstraZeneca Which is exported to countries other than the UK and Europe (Brazil got 2 million immune doses in January) and so does Novavax.
India sends first batch of vaccines against Covid-19 to Covax Alliance in February 2021 – Photo: Disclosure / WHO
The Indian manufacturer has struggled to meet global demand for vaccine after the Indian government halted exports of immunization devices in favor of its vaccination campaign.
Last week, Poonawala asked the Indian government for additional funding of 30 billion Brazilian reals (408 million US dollars or 2.2 billion Brazilian reals) to increase its production capacity. “The world needs this vaccine and now we are prioritizing India’s needs.”
Without the money from exporting vaccines, the company’s CEO said, he was struggling to increase production capacity. In February, he asked the world to “be patient” about sending vaccines.
Poonawala wrote at the time on his social media networks: “The Mosul Institute was called upon to prioritize India’s enormous needs and strike a balance with the needs of the rest of the world. We are doing our best.”
Vaccination in India versus exports
The country of 1.3 billion people is facing a second fierce wave of Covid-19, with more than 200,000 cases confirmed daily, overtaking Brazil as the second most affected country in the world after the United States.
India is the second country in the world, also after the United States, to pass the tragic mark of 200,000 cases in one day. This Friday, (16) set a new daily record: more than 217,000 injured.
India sets new record for infected Covid in 24 hours
Amidst increasing cases in the country, India authorized the Russian Sputnik V.
