Serum Institute of India chief Adar Poonawalla has said that news of the latest Covid-19 outbreak in China is concerning, but India does not need to panic given its excellent vaccination coverage.
India has administered over 2.19 billion doses of Covid vaccines since last year – including Covishield, which is produced by the Serum Institute of India at its Pune facility. Meanwhile, in neighbouring China, an estimated 89.7% of the population has been vaccinated, but Chinese cities are now grappling with a fresh outbreak.
Experts are concerned that 60% of China’s population could be infected by the virus in a fresh wave that could lead to the death of millions.
“The news of rising COVID cases coming out of China is concerning, we need not panic given our excellent vaccination coverage and track record,” wrote Adar Poonawalla in a tweet this morning, adding that the public must continue to trust and follow the preventive measures laid down by the government.
“We must continue to trust and follow the guidelines set by the Government of India and Ministry of Health,” said Poonawalla.
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.Related stories
— Adar Poonawalla (@adarpoonawalla) December 21, 2022
After the protests, China began dismantling its strict protocols that had largely kept the virus away for almost three years. But the country of 1.4 billion people soon began to witness a jump in Covid cases, with projections suggesting it could face more than a million deaths next year.
Meanwhile, India's COVID-19 tally climbed to 4,46,76,330 on Wednesday with 131 fresh infections, while the number of active cases came down to 3,408, according to Union health ministry data.
Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya will today hold a meeting with experts and top officials to discuss preventive measures, including travel protocols to slow the spread of cases.
(With inputs from agencies)
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