Naveen Patnaik wants Odisha to be on Covid vaccine priority list

BHUBANESWAR: Serum Institute of India (SII) CEO Adar Poonawalla, during a video-conference with chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday said the Covid-19 vaccine is likely to be launched in India by October-November, this year.
The Pune-based firm, the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer by volume, has partnered with British-Swedish pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca to produce and supply Covid-19 vaccine developed by Oxford University.
“The first phase trial has come positive and very successful as you heard from the UK. In India, the trial will start in the next two weeks (mid-August) with the approval of the Drug Controller General of India followed by a two-month follow-up study. So, by October-November this year, we hope to have launched the vaccine in India,” said Poonawalla during the interaction.
The chief minister sought Poonawalla’s cooperation to keep Odisha as a priority state for vaccination once necessary clearances are obtained. Naveen, according to a statement issued by the chief minister’s office, said the state government will be in touch with the SII for this purpose.
“I understand that you are collaborating with Oxford University in the research for the vaccine, which sounds very hopefully successful in the future. In Odisha, we have the lowest fatality rate in the country and also the recovery rate is very high,” Naveen said during the interaction.
While the state’s Covid toll has touched 108 on Wednesday, the state has recorded 70.96% recovery rate, more than the national average.
The chief minister, during the video-conference, also congratulated Poonawalla for the recent promising results published in medical journal The Lancet on Covid vaccine and applauded the philanthropic activities carried out by him.
According to the CMO’s statement, Poonawalla said that the Serum Institute and the state government can be in touch with each other and carry forward the collaboration once the vaccines are cleared and ready.
“Pleasure talking to @Naveen_Odisha ji, I look forward to extending support to the state of Odisha for all its vaccination needs,” Poonawalla later tweeted.
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