NEW DELHI (CU)_India has decided to pause all major exports of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines manufactured by the world’s biggest vaccine-maker, the Serum Institute of India (SII), in order to meet domestic demand as virus infections continue to rise, Reuters reported.
This decision by the South Asian nation will also affect deliveries to the COVAX vaccine-sharing facility, which is supposed to supply vaccines to 64 lower-income countries.
“We understand that deliveries of COVID-19 vaccines to lower-income economies participating in the COVAX facility will likely face delays following a setback in securing export licences for further doses of COVID-19 vaccines produced by the Serum Institute of India (SII), expected to be shipped in March and April,” UNICEF said in an email to Reuters.
“COVAX is in talks with the Government of India with a view to ensuring deliveries as quickly as possible.”
The COVAX initiative, supported by the WHO and a group of international vaccine advocacy groups, aims to accelerate the development and manufacturing of COVID-19 vaccines, and to guarantee fair and equitable access for every country in the world.
So far, of the 60.5 million AstraZeneca doses shipped from India, 17.7 million shots were delivered to the initiative, on which many countries rely to immunise their citizens.
According to the Indian foreign ministry’s website, there have been no vaccine exports from the country since Thursday (18 March).
“Everything else has taken a backseat, for the time being at least,” Reuters quoted a source as saying.
“No exports, nothing till the time the India situation stabilises. The government won’t take such a big chance at the moment when so many need to be vaccinated in India.”
The SII has already delayed exports of the AstraZeneca shots to Britain, Brazil, Morocco and Saudi Arabia, and authorities in London are having discussions with New Delhi over the delivery of the second batch of 5 million shots ordered from the Institute.
This week, the Indian government decided to expand its vaccination drive by including everyone above the age of 45 years to be inoculated from 1 April. With 11.7 million infections, India has registered the third highest number of cases after the United States and Brazil.
