SII's Adar Poonawalla says Canada to get AstraZeneca vaccines in 'less than a month'

PM Modi last week assured his Canadian counterpart that India would do its best to supply Canada with the vaccines

The Serum Institute of India will ship the Oxford University/AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine to Canada in less than one month, Serum's chief executive said on Monday.

"As we await regulatory approvals from Canada, I assure you, @SerumInstIndia will fly out #COVISHIELD to Canada in less than a month; I'm on it!" CEO Adar Poonawalla said on Twitter, referring to a brand name for AstraZeneca's vaccine.

India boasts of several vaccine manufacturing facilities and is fast emerging as a key supplier to the world.

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Canada, which has recorded more than 825,000 coronavirus cases and 21,000 deaths so far, does not yet have a vaccine manufacturing facility of its own and is reliant on foreign suppliers.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week assured Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau that India would do its best to supply Canada with the vaccines, potentially easing shortages faced in the country.

Canada has so far ordered vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna.