PM Narendra Modi Likely to Visit Serum Institute on November 28 to See COVID-19 Vaccine Production & Distribution Plan: Report

New Delhi, November 26: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will reportedly be visiting Serum Institute of India (SII) on Saturday to see the coronavirus vaccine production and proposed distribution plan, a senior official confirmed to Hindustan Times report.

There has been no intimation about the same from the Prime Minister’s office on his visit as yet. According to officials, PM will visit various facilities at SII’s Hadapsar campus where the Pune firm has begun the production of Covishield vaccine. PM Narendra Modi Holds Meeting to Review India's COVID-19 Vaccination Strategy, Cold-Storage Chain Augmentation Discussed.

Earlier this month, Serum Institute of India and ICMR, announced the completion of enrolment of phase 3 clinical trials for COVISHIELD in India.  SII has signed an agreement to manufacture the vaccine developed by the Jenner Institute of Oxford University in collaboration with British-Swedish pharma company AstraZeneca.

Both Oxford and AstraZeneca on Monday informed that their vaccine was up to 90 percent effective in late-stage clinical trials, raising hopes for its arrival in India by the end of the year.

Last Friday, PM Modi held a meeting to review the country's strategy for vaccination once a vaccine against coronavirus or COVID-19 is available. Important issues related to vaccination such as arrangements of cold storage chains, which is vital if India decides to procure Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine, and categorisation of groups were discussed during the meeting.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 26, 2020 03:03 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).