The Serum Institute in Pune is betting big hopes and big bucks on the Oxford COVID-19 vaccine which is the world’s most promising coronavirus vaccine to date.
Led by the fabulously wealthy Adar Poonawalla who is The Serum Institute’s chief executive, the institute is set to dole out 500 doses of the vaccine each minute, reports The New York Times.
39-year-old Poonawalla has stated that he will split the hundreds of millions of vaccine doses that his institute produces 50-50 between Indian and the rest of the world with a special focus on poorer countries.
Poonawalla has stated that he believes there is a “70 to 80 percent” chance that the vaccine will work and adds: “I hope we don’t go in too deep.”
Poonawalla also estimates that he is spending around $450 million to mass-produce the Oxford vaccine, NYT reports.