It’s Finally Here!!

 Dear Readers,

12th January, 2021 marked a day of great pride and glory for our community and the nation, as Serum Institute India (SII), the world’s largest producer of vaccines (in terms of volume) marked India’s highly anticipated entry into taking on the pandemic, as three truckloads, filled with the much awaited Covishield vaccine, were finally despatched from SII’s Pune facility, launching its very first consignment.

Kudos to the father-son Poonawala duo – Dr. Cyrus and son, Adar – for spearheading SII to this extraordinary achievement, which plants yet another feather in the Parsi cap… perhaps the longest yet! Having contributed greatly to India’s nation-building, our minuscule but mighty effective community, once again, stands with pride at the forefront, when it comes to making crucial contributions to India, as its honourable and grateful citizens.

The nation can finally breathe a sigh of relief as the primary phase of vaccination starts today, January 16th, 2021 in India, in what PM Modi has announced, as the world’s largest inoculation program, with due and much-deserved priority given to healthcare and frontline workers, who will be administered the vaccine free of cost.

Cheers to all at SII and Astra Zeneca and all those working on the making of the anti-corona vaccines, for their concerted efforts, especially the researchers who worked around the clock to finally deliver a vaccine against the novel coronavirus, which has wreaked universal havoc since nearly a year now, impacting millions of lives and livelihoods across the world. Even as we hope and pray for the quick healing and recovery of all those who’ve had to bear losses of loved ones and endure other life-changing setbacks, we celebrate and welcome with gratitude, this promise of protection in a vial, which will go on to save millions of lives against the deadly epidemic.

Have a good weekend!

– Anahita