Adar Poonawalla takes COVID-19 vaccine shot

New Delhi : Serum Institute of India (SII) CEO Adar Poonawalla on Saturday took the Oxford COVID-19 vaccine Covishield's shot to endorse the safety of the vaccine on Day 1 of mass vaccination drive in India.

In the world's biggest vaccination drive, health workers were the first ones to take the coronavirus vaccine.

Adar Poonawalla wished the country and Prime Minister Narendra Modi success for the vaccination programme. He tweeted a short video of him taking the vaccine.

“I wish India & Sri @narendramodi ji great success in launching the world’s largest COVID vaccination roll-out. It brings me great pride that #COVISHIELD is part of this historic effort & to endorse it’s safety & efficacy, I join our health workers in taking the vaccine myself,” Poonawalla tweeted.

SII manufactured Oxford University-AstraZeneca’s vaccine Covishield, while Bharat Biotech developed the other vaccine Covaxin that is being administered in the inoculation drive.

More than 3 lakh health workers will be administered the coronavirus vaccine on Day 1.