The Indian government this week announced major changes to its national Covid-19 vaccination strategy, including opening eligibility to all...
The Indian government this week announced major changes to its national Covid-19 vaccination strategy, including opening eligibility to all adults over 18 from May 1 and shifting the responsibility of procuring doses and inoculating those in the 18-45 band to the states and the private sector.
Many aspects of this new strategy are confounding, yet there have been few explanations forthcoming. The Centre has so far issued a press release announcing the new approach that barely explains the thinking behind the dramatic shifts in strategy. It held a press briefing with senior bureaucrats, who read out the press release without going much further.
As has been the case from the beginning, we little understanding of the government’s rationale or its calculations or even an inkling of whether this had been part of the plan all along, or was a pivot in view of the country’s massive second wave.
But there was one source of further details, one individual willing to talk to the press and respond to questions: Serum Institute of India Chief Executive Officer Adar Poonawalla.
The Serum Institute plays an extremely important role in India’s vaccination strategy. Covishield, the version of the AstraZeneca-Oxford University vaccine that it manufactures, has accounted for 90% of the 12.76 crore or...
