Reports of rising COVID-19 cases in China a concern but India need not panic given excellent vaccination coverage: SII CEO Adar Poonawalla

Adar Poonawalla, 41, is the CEO of vaccine-manufacturer Serum Institute of India

Serum Institute of India (SII) CEO Adar Poonawalla on Tuesday expressed concern over reports of a rising COVID-19 graph in China but said there is no need to panic as the vaccination coverage in India is excellent.

Poonawalla's tweet came a day after the Union Health Ministry urged all states and UTs to ramp up the whole genome sequencing of positive samples to keep track of newer variants, if any, amid a spurt in cases in the US and China.

"The news of rising COVID cases coming out of China is concerning, we need not panic given our excellent vaccination coverage and track record. We must continue to trust and follow the guidelines set by the Government of India and @MoHFW_INDIA," Poonawalla tweeted.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Pune-based SII had collaborated with Oxford University and pharmaceutical company Astra Zeneca for making the Covishield vaccine.

In October, Pooanwalla said the SII stopped producing the vaccine in December 2021. Of the total stock available at that time, about 100 million doses had already expired, he had said.