World's Largest Vaccine Production Site Catches Fire in India
- A fire recently broke out at the world's largest producer of vaccines, the Serum Institute of India
- Footage shows thick, grey smoke billowing out of windows at the site where personnel had to be evacuated
- Production of the Covid-19 vaccine was unaffected but the Institute confirmed that there were workers who lost their lives in the blaze
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The Serum Institute of India is currently the site that produces the greatest number of vaccines worldwide and a fire recently broke out in one of the buildings.
Footage from the incident shows thick smoke billowing out of windows near the top floors of the Institute where millions of doses of the Covishield vaccine, developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University, are being produced.
Thankfully, sources have confirmed that the production of the Covid-19 vaccine was unaffected by the fire.
Source: Getty Images
However, the Chairman and Managing Director of the Institute Cyrus Poonawalla did confirm in a statement that there were workers who tragically lost their lives in the blaze.
Photos show the building ablaze, firefighters spraying the building and personnel being evacuated from the premises, but the statement confirms both the safety of the Covid-19 production and, regrettably, the loss of life from the fire.
In vaccine-related news, Briefly.co.za previously reported on President Cyril Ramaphosa assuring South African citizens that the government will procure a sufficient number of vaccines to combat the ongoing Covid-19 crisis.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has done his best to reassure South Africans that enough Covid-19 vaccines will be procured amid the continuing pandemic.
The nation's leader has also assured it that money will not serve as an issue in this process. In addition to this, Ramaphosa has confirmed that an inter-ministerial committee has been established to overlook the distribution of the vaccinations:
"The vaccine is going to be a major boost to our efforts in fighting COVID-19, some people have raised issues about the financing thereof and financing is not going to be a problem because we will be able to pay for these vaccines as we order them."
Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize recently announced that 1 million doses of the vaccine will be released in January with another 500 000 released next month.
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Source: Briefly News
