Serum Institute of India CEO-owner Adar Poonawalla is expected to meet Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya tomorrow in Delhi. The expected meet comes after the union health minister toay met met Dr Reddy's Laboratories Ltd Chairperson K. Satish Reddy in New Delhi to discuss the availability of Sputnik V vaccines. "Had a discussion on the production of the Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine and its supply," the minister said on Twitter. Although details of the meeting are not known, it takes significance in wake of a shortage of COVID-19 vaccines in the country.
Notably, Poonawalla today announced that he has set aside Rs 10 crore to support students travelling abroad for studies, as a few countries are yet to approve Covishield as an acceptable vaccine for entry without quarantine.
Earlier in July, he had lauded 16 European countries for recognising Covishield as an acceptable vaccine for entry.
"It is indeed good news for travellers, as we see sixteen European countries recognising Covishield as an acceptable vaccine for entry. However, despite being vaccinated, entry guidelines might vary from country to country, so do read up before you travel," Poonawalla had said in a tweet.
Meanwhile, a study conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, has found that Covid-19-recovered individuals with both doses of Covishield have higher immunity against the Delta variant.
The study titled 'Neutralization Of Delta Variant With Sera of Covishield Vaccines And Covid-19 Recovered Vaccinated Individuals' have assessed the neutralising antibody (NAb) response of individuals immunised with Covishield vaccine (first dose and second dose), COVID-19 recovered individuals who were vaccinated (first dose and second dose) and breakthrough infections (due to Kappa and the Delta variant).
Delta variant has further mutated to Delta plus also known as AY.1.
Currently, the vaccine appears to induce robust hormonal and cellular immune response against the SARS-CoV 2 spike protein.
(With agency inputs)
