Serum CEO Adar Poonawalla to get 'Y' category security cover: MHA

Serum Institute is manufacturing the Covishield vaccine in India

Serum Institute of India's CEO Adar Poonawalla will get 'Y' category security across India by the CRPF, the Union government officials said on Wednesday.

The Union government's decision came after Director, Government and Regulatory Affairs at Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII), Prakash Kumar Singh hadwritten to Union Home Minister Amit Shah on April 16 requesting security for Poonawalla.

Covishield, one of the two COVID-19 vaccines used in India's COVID-19 vaccination programme, is being manufactured by SII.

In this letter, Singh had stated that Poonawalla has been getting threats from various groups regarding the COVID-19 vaccine supplies.

In this letter, Singh also said, "we are working shoulder to shoulder to fight against COVID-19 pandemic with the Government of India under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji.