The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health bestowed its Dean’s Medal to Dr Cyrus Poonawalla, founder and chairman of Serum Institute of India (SII). Dr Poonawalla was awarded the prestigious accolade for his outstanding work in developing and delivering affordable vaccines and his valuable contribution to the Indian biosciences industry.
The SII, with its Covid-19 vaccines, has played a major role in fighting the pandemic.
The honour was presented to Dr Poonawalla during its convocation ceremony held on Sunday.
Past Dean’s Medal winners include social justice advocate Cheryl Dorsey, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Laurie Garrett and former Baltimore Health Commissioner Leana Wen.
Dr Poonawalla’s foresight has helped SII, which was founded by him in Pune in 1966, achieve global leadership in terms of production with 4 billion doses annually. SII partnered early on with UNICEF and the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO). Its measles vaccine supply to UNICEF and PAHO between 1990 to 2016 prevented 22 million deaths.
Dr Poonawalla said: “It is a proud moment for me to receive this prestigious award from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Over the years, our constant endeavour has been to provide high-quality vaccines with regular supplies, which ensure excellent immunization coverage to children and families worldwide at an affordable, sustainable price point. This award is a motivation for SII to take up bigger challenges ahead and fortifies our objective of inclusive healthcare for all.”
SII’s current vaccine portfolio includes that against polio, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, Hib, BCG, r-hepatitis B, measles, mumps, rubella, as well as Pneumococcal and Covid-19 vaccines. SII is credited with bringing world-class technology to India, supplying the world's cheapest vaccines to as many as 171 countries.
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