Serum Institute CEO terms vaccine hesitancy as greatest threat in overcoming Covid

New Delhi: Serum Institute of India CEO Adar Poonawalla on Wednesday termed vaccine hesitancy as the greatest threat in overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic while urging all adults to get vaccinated at the earliest.

The remark from Poonawalla comes on a day when the health ministry reports mentioned that cumulative Covid-19 vaccine doses administered in the country had crossed 114 crore.

In a tweet, Poonawalla wrote: "The vaccine industry has worked tirelessly to provide enough stocks for the nation. Today there are over 200 million doses available in states. I urge all adults to get vaccinated as soon as possible. Vaccine hesitancy is now the greatest threat in overcoming this pandemic."

Earlier in the day Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya also appealed to all eligible citizens to get vaccinated.

The cumulative COVID-19 vaccines administered in the country has exceeded 113.68 crore mark. Of all the vaccine doses administered, around 90 per cent are Serum's Covishield and close to 10 per cent are Bharat Biotech's Covaxin.

The company is also likely to start supplying the Covid vaccines to the Covax after India resumed Vaccine Maitri to export vaccines starting from October 2021, said a source.

India resumed the vaccine export under Vaccine Maitri in the fourth quarter starting from October to fulfill the commitment towards COVAX in line with the motto Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (World is one family). India had stopped vaccine exports in April amid second Covid surge to jab its own population.

India's Covid cases are also on declining trajectory. The country on Wednesday reported 10,197 new Covid cases and 301 deaths in a day.