A day after Bharat Biotech chairman and managing director Krishna Ella hit out at Serum Institute of India (SII) chief executive officer Adar Poonawalla for calling Covaxin, their anti-Coronavirus disease (Covid-19) vaccine, safe like water, the companies on Tuesday issued a joint statement saying they had pledged to ensure a smooth roll-out of Covid-19 vaccines to India and the world.
Both the vaccine makers on Tuesday communicated their combined intent to develop, manufacture and supply Covid-19 vaccines.
They said that the more important task in front of them was saving lives and livelihoods.
“Vaccines are a global public health good and they have the power to save lives and accelerate the return to economic normalcy at the earliest. Now that two Covid-19 vaccines have been issued EUA (emergency-use authorisation) in India, the focus is on manufacturing, supply and distribution, such that populations that need it the most receive high quality, safe and efficacious vaccines. Both our companies are fully engaged in this activity and consider it our duty to the nation and the world at large to ensure a smooth roll-out of vaccines. Each of our companies continue their Covid-19 vaccines development activities as planned,” read the joint statement.
“We are fully aware of the importance of vaccines for people and countries alike, we hereby communicate our joint pledge to provide global access for our Covid-19 vaccines,” the statement read.
Earlier in the day, Poonawalla, had tweeted that both the companies were going to issue a joint clarification on the controversy regarding the Covid-19 vaccines.
“I would like to clarify two matters: as there is confusion in the public domain, exports of vaccines are permitted to all countries and a joint public statement clearing up any recent miscommunication with regards to Bharat Biotech will be made,” he tweeted.
Minutes after the joint statement was made public, Bharat Biotech also tweeted the same statement from its official twitter handle: @BharatBiotech.
On Sunday, both the companies were granted restricted emergency-use authorisation for sale of their Covid-19 vaccine in India by the Drugs Controller General of India.
