United Nations: Abdullah Shahid, president of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly, has said that he has taken both doses of the Covishield Vaccine manufactured in India. The Kovishield vaccine developed by the British-Swedish pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca is produced in India. Serum Institute of India is based in Pune.
Speaking at his first press briefing here on Friday, Shahid said, “About vaccines, this is a very technical question that you have asked me. I have got the Covishield vaccine made in India, I have received both doses. I don’t know how many countries will say that Covidshield is acceptable or not, but many countries of the world have got CovidShield.
He was responding to a question of whether any COVID vaccines should be recognized and considered or vaccines that have been validated by the World Health Organization (WHO) or any other organization. He laughed and said, “I am alive. But let someone else, someone in the medical field decide, not me.” India has exported more than 66 million vaccine doses to nearly 100 countries through grants, commercial consignments, and the COVAX initiative.
Shahid’s country, the Maldives, was one of the first countries to receive an India-made vaccine in January, sending 100,000 doses of Covishield there. Britain initially refused to recognize the Covishield manufactured by the Serum Institute of India. However, following strong criticism from India over the decision, it amended its new guidelines on 22 September to include teak.
