Don't politicise Covaxin: Bharat Biotech MD

Hyderabad: Stating that Bharat Biotech is a truly global vaccine maker with tremendous experience, Dr Krishna Ella, the company's Chairman and Managing Director, expressed his anguish that Covaxin, the indigenous vaccine for Covid-19 developed by the company, is being politicised. "We have tremendous experience in vaccines. We are touching 123 countries. We are the only company that has got such an extensive experience and extensive publication in review journals," Dr Ella said in a virtual media conference on Monday. The company made 16 vaccines so far, he added.

Saying that Covaxin is in no way inferior to the Covid vaccine developed by Pfizer, he said Bharat Biotech has been conducting clinical trials in 12 countries including Pakistan, Nepal, UK, and Bangladesh, along with India.

"Now that vaccine is being politicised, I want to state very clearly that none of my family members is associated with any political party," he asserted. The Bharat Biotech CMD extended his gratitude to all the volunteers. "Thank you to all the volunteers who participated in the trials without any commercial interests. I come from a small agricultural family in Tamil Nadu. All I know is science," he said. The Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) on Sunday approved Bharat Biotech's Covaxin and Covishield, another Covid vaccine developed by Serum Institute of India (SII), for emergency use.