Minister of State - Health Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar on Tuesday visited the Serum Institute of India in Pune and conveyed her gratitude for playing crucial role in COVID-19 vaccination campaign in India.
Her visit comes at a time when India is about to reach a humongous milestone of vaccinating 100 crore citizens in the country including both first and second doses. Tweeting about her visit, Bharati Pawar wrote, "Conveyed my gratitude for playing crucial role in Covid vaccination campaign in India especially when we're on the way of achieving 100 cr vaccination of our citizens under the leadership of PM."
Nearly 75% of the adult population has received their first dose while around 30% have received both doses and is fully vaccinated. More than 10.72 crore vaccine doses are still available with the states and union territories.
The Union Minister of State for health met SII CEO Adar Poonawalla and other officials.
Notably, a majority of these vaccines have been supplied by Serum Institute of India (SII). Nearly 88% of doses administered so far has been SII’s Covishield vaccine. Apart from supplying to the Indian market, SII had also exported 6.7 crore vaccines taking the total Covishield vaccines administered to 93.39 crore.
SII has delivered more than what it had committed and helped the government keep the vaccination drive on track. From an estimated 50 crore doses expected from SII between August and December, the company would end up delivering more than double of this to the country. With India's crore mark, SII would also be crossing the 100 crore production mark at its Pune vaccine manufacturing facility.
Meanwhile, talking about the vaccination of children in India, Dr Bharati Pawar on few days ago said that evaluation of COVID -19 vaccine for children is under progress. She said the vaccine will be launched after taking the opinion of experts and approval from the Drugs Controller General of India (DGCI).
Bharat Biotech, the manufacturer of Covaxin, has submitted data for clinical trials in the age group of 2-18 years to Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO).
The data has been thoroughly reviewed by the Subject Experts Committee and it has given a positive recommendation, a ANI report said.
