Serum Institute of India (SII) CEO Adar Poonawalla on Tuesday said that children in the country will likely be vaccinated with the Covovax Covid-19 vaccine, and not Covishield. He also said that the trials of the vaccine is underway and Covovax should be ready in six months.
“Not Covishield… Covovax should be available in six months. (The) trials are on… no safety issues so far. We have gone down to the age of seven (with) good results…” Adar Poonawalla said, NDTV reported.
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“Our approach for vaccinating children will be with Covovax – the new vaccine awaiting licencing in India and (this) should be done soon. Our approach (will be) to vaccinate children right down to the age of two with Covovax,” the Serum Institute CEO said.
He said that if the government announces booster dose, his company has enough doses in stock. “If the government announces booster dose, we have enough vaccines in stock. In the private market the booster dose may cost Rs 600.”
Earlier in October, Poonawalla had said his company won’t “fast-track” the ongoing trials.
“By February 2022, we hope to launch Covovax for children. At present, we are undergoing trials. We would not fast-track the trials for this, especially when there’s no urgency to do so,” he told News18 in an exclusive interview.
An expert panel of India’s Central Drug Authority, which recently reviewed Serum Institute’s application seeking emergency authorisation of COVID-19 vaccine Covovax, has sought additional data from the firm, while noting the jab has not yet been approved in the country of origin, official sources said.
SII had put in an application to the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) in October for grant of market authorisation of Covovax for restricted use in emergency situations.
Speaking on the new variant Omicron, Poonawalla said that the priority is that everyone should take the two doses of vaccine. “The message for all – and a priority – is for everyone to get the two doses of the vaccine. That is the first step to stay protected. It is only after that one can enhance that safety with boosters over the next year. The focus of the government must remain to get everyone double vaccinated,” he said.
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