Adar Poonawalla says EU green pass Covishield issue has been ‘blown out of proportion’

LONDON: Serum Institute of India CEO Adar Poonawalla played down on Wednesday Covishield not getting approved for the EU green pass, saying, "It is not a controversy at all. It’s been blown out of proportion."
"The EMA is correct in asking us to apply, which we have through AstraZeneca a month ago, and that process has to take its time. In a month we are confident the EMA will approve Covishield. There is no reason not to as it is based on AstraZeneca data and our product is identical to AstraZeneca more or less," he said.
The green pass, which will be required for travel in the EU from July 1, does not currently recognise Covishield.
Speaking at the India Global Forum, Poonawalla said "what keeps him up at night" is the lack of preparedness for a future pandemic. He called for harmonisation between countries of the regulations vaccine manufacturers have to meet as well as harmonisation of vaccine certificates. "Until it all gets regularised we will struggle to meet the output required," he said.
He said waiving of intellectual property rights would not solve the immediate shortage of vaccines as it is not just about the patent but also sharing of technology process.
Earlier in the year SII was forced to stop its exports through Covax to lower-income countries to focus on vaccinating Indians. This was a "particularly stressful time" he said, explaining that money that had been advanced had to be returned.
"India will go back to supporting Covax in two to three months’ time and start re-exporting vaccines. By the end of the year there will be so many doses coming out of India," he said.
"By the end of December a large part of the Indian population should be vaccinated," he said. The SII has ramped up from 50 million Covid vaccine doses per month in January to 90 million in June. But he warned the pandemic may not be over for up to four years.