'Will boost vaccine production': SII CEO Adar Poonawalla thanks US for lifting embargo

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New Delhi: Serum Institute of India CEO Adar Poonawalla hailed the efforts of India's Ministry of External Affairs S jaishankar and the US for lifting restrictions on the manufacturing of COVID-19 vaccine saying that the move will boost the country's vaccine production.

Taking to Twitter, Poonawalla thanked US President Joe Biden and MEA saying, “...this policy change will hopefully increase the supply of raw materials globally and to India; boosting our vaccine production capacity and strengthening our united fight against this pandemic."

Thanks to the efforts of @POTUS, @WhiteHouse, & @DrSJaishankar, this policy change will hopefully increase the supply of raw materials globally and to India; boosting our vaccine production capacity and strengthening our united fight against this pandemic. https://t.co/bHADBwiUnm

— Adar Poonawalla (@adarpoonawalla) June 4, 2021

The comment comes as just a day after the Biden administration removed the 1950 Defense Production Act priority ratings on AstraZeneca, Novavax and Sanofi vaccines. The law was imposed to prioritise vaccine supplies for American manufacturers. The lifting of this restriction would let US companies take their own decision on whom they want to sell their vaccines.

United States Vice President Kamala Harris spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the phone on June 3. The call was initiated by the American side, top government sources said. During the conversation, Harris conveyed that US will begin sharing vaccines with India, along with other countries by end of June.