Serum Institute of India, which is manufacturing the coronavirus vaccine developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca, will keep aside 60,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine for Parsis. Serum Institute founder Cyrus Poonawalla, who is himself a Parsi has decided to set aside the doses of the under-trial vaccine.

Newspaper -- Parsi Junction reported that Poonawalla acceded to the request of former Bombay Parsi Panchayat Chairman Dinishaw Rusi Mehta who had requested Poonawalla to set aside some vaccine for their community.

"We are a micro minority and every Parsi is required to be saved and healthy... At present, we are only 60,000 in numbers and 40 Parsis have died of COVID-19," Mehta reportedly said in a WhatsApp message to Poonawalla.

Covishield has had enouraging initial results published that has given the world a glimmer of hope. The vaccine is currently having third phase trials being conducted in several parts of the world.

The Serum Institute of India is producing over a billion doses of vaccine that will be used, when the time comes, in India and other middle and lower-income countries.