News Analysis India

Tag: Covisheild

  • Fire breaks out at Serum Institute of India in Pune

    By Online Desk
    A fire broke out at an under-construction unit of the Serum Institute of India (SII) in Pune on Thursday afternoon.

    At least 10 fire tenders were rushed to the spot. Thick clouds of smoke could be seen billowing out of one of the buildings in the SII complex. 

    Dr Rajendra Shingne, Food and Drugs Administration minister, told The New Indian Express that the fire will not affect the production of Covid-19 vaccines at SII.

    The fire, the minister confirmed, had broken out at a different building where BCG vaccines were being produced.

    The Maharashtra Chief Minister’s office also issued a statement confirming this. 

    It read ‘the vaccines and the vaccine manufacturing plant are safe at Serum Institute of India. CM Uddhav Thackeray is in touch with Pune Municipal Commissioner and is taking complete on-ground updates. He has directed state machinery to coordinate and ensure that situation is under control.’ 

    Deputy Commissioner of Police Namrata Patil told PTI the fire broke out at 2.45 pm on the fourth and fifth floor of the SEZ 3 building in the Serum Institute premises.

    Ranpise said, “We are yet to confirm the cause of the fire” adding that “efforts are on douse the fire.”

    CEO Adar Poonawalla on Twitter said, “thank you everyone for your concern and prayers. So far the most important thing is that there have been no lives lost or major injuries due to the fire, despite a few floors being destroyed”.

    Thank you everyone for your concern and prayers. So far the most important thing is that there have been no lives lost or major injuries due to the fire, despite a few floors being destroyed.
    — Adar Poonawalla (@adarpoonawalla) January 21, 2021

    The SII is one of the world’s largest vaccine makers and is producing Oxford University-AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine ‘Covishield’.

    (With Express News Service inputs)

  • Nepal and Bangladesh receive Coronavirus vaccines sent by India

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Bangladesh and Nepal on Thursday received COVID-19 vaccines from India under grants assistance.

    “Nepal receives Indian vaccines. Putting neighbours first, putting people first!,” External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Twitter.

    “Touchdown in Dhaka. #VaccineMaitri reaffirms the highest priority accorded by India to relations with Bangladesh,” he said in another tweet, along with a photograph of Air India flight that carried the consignments to Dhaka.

    It is learnt that two million doses of Covisheild vaccines were sent to Bangladesh, while Nepal was supplied one million doses.

    On Wednesday, India sent 150,000 doses of Covisheild vaccines to Bhutan and 100,000 doses to the Maldives.

    In a major announcement, India on Tuesday said it will send COVID-19 vaccines under grant assistance to Bhutan, Maldives, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar and Seychelles from Wednesday and supplies to Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Mauritius will commence after confirmation of necessary regulatory clearances.

    India is one of the world’s biggest drugmakers, and an increasing number of countries have already approached it for procuring the coronavirus vaccines.

    India has already rolled out a massive coronavirus vaccination drive under which two vaccines, Covishield and Covaxin, are being administered to frontline health workers across the country.

    While Oxford-AstraZeneca’s Covishield is being manufactured by the Serum Institute, and the Covaxin is being produced by Bharat Biotech.

    The MEA said it will be ensured that domestic manufacturers will have adequate stocks to meet domestic requirements while supplying abroad.

    India had earlier supplied hydroxychloroquine, Remdesivir and paracetamol tablets, as well as diagnostic kits, ventilators, masks, gloves and other medical supplies to a large number of countries to help them deal with the pandemic.