The UK on Tuesday said that it will import 10 million doses of SII’S AstraZeneca vaccine branded as Covidshield, from the Serum Institute of India (SII).
The largest vaccine producer SII is producing AstraZeneca developed by Oxford University in large volumes for India as well as the middle and poor class countries.
“The UK has ordered 100 million doses of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine, of which 10 million doses will come from the Serum Institute of India,” told a spokesperson from UK government.
Britain’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) was continually examining the manufacturing at SII to recommend a best way possible for its delivery of AstraZeneca from SII to UK.
The move may raise concerns that the wealthy countries are getting vaccines at the expense of poor countries as the poor and middle class countries from Bangladesh to Brazil are depended on SII and AstraZeneca’s Covidshield, but now the demand from wealthy Western countries is increasing.
UK government also clarified that the deal with SII will not impact the SII’s commitment to provide its vaccines to the poorer nations.
Apart from UK, European Union is also examining the production at SII and both the AstraZeneca and SII has committed to EU to deliver 180 million doses by the second quarter.
