Fire at medical plant that manufactures Covishield vaccines

A major fire has broken out at a building in the Serum Institute of India today (21); the world's largest maker of vaccines. However, this is not the building where the Covishield vaccine is being manufactured. The cause of the fire is not yet known.

The Serum Institute of India is manufacturing the Covishield vaccine that has been developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca. Covishield is one of the two COVID-19 vaccines that have been approved in India for emergency use.

Sources said the production of Covishield was not being carried out at this building, but it is adjacent to the building where the vaccine is being manufactured.

The exact nature of damage caused by the fire is not known yet.