The Serum Institute of India (SII) has disassociated itself from its executive director’s remark that the Central government began the vaccination of multiple age groups against COVID-19 without taking into consideration the available stock.
In a letter to the Union Health Ministry on May 22, Prakash Kumar Singh, director of government and regulatory affairs at the Pune-based SII, said the statement by its executive director, Suresh Jadhav, at a recent event was not the view of the company, sources said.
“On behalf of our CEO Adar C Poonawalla, I want to inform you that this statement is not issued on behalf of SIIPL (Serum Institute of India Private Limited) and the Company completely dissociates itself from this statement. It is reiterated that, this is not the view of the company at all ... SIIPL is committed to maximise its Covishield production and it stands shoulder to shoulder to strengthen the government’s fight against COVID-19,” he said in a communique.
The company also clarified that Mr. Poonawalla is the only official spokesperson of the company.
Amid an acute shortage of COVID-19 vaccines in the country, Mr. Jadhav on Friday alleged that the government began inoculating people in multiple age groups without taking into account the available stock of vaccines and the WHO guidelines.
