With 22cr unused vax doses, govt may allow commercial exports

With 22cr unused vax doses, govt may allow commercial exports

Sushmi.Dey@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: 20.11.2021

The government may soon give a major push to export of Covid vaccines with states and UTs having stocks of more than 22 crore unutilised doses, a top official source said.

While the government recently resumed supplies to Covax, it is now also considering allowing commercial exports.

The health ministry recently gave permission to the Serum Institute of India to export one crore doses of Covishield through Covax — an international vaccine-sharing alliance supported by GAVI, the World Health Organisation and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations.

India has also resumed supplies to Myanmar, Nepal, Bangladesh and Iran, almost eight months after it stopped exports in the wake of rising number of Covid-19 cases in the country.

“The production of the vaccine is swiftly increasing. The country will soon have a surplus supply of vaccine. What are we going to do with it if we do not allow exports?” the source said.

A total of 30 crore doses of Covid vaccines have been delivered in November, whereas only 8.8 crore doses have been administered in the month so far. In December, supplies are expected to increase further. Around 31 crore doses of Covishield and Covaxin are scheduled to be received in December, while an additional two crore doses of Cadila Healthcare’s ZyCoV-D are also expected by the end of the year.

Besides, new jabs like Biological E’s Corbevax are also expected to come up for emergency use authorisation in December.

On the other hand, the consumption pattern is not expected to witness any significant rise with over 81% of the adult population already covered with at least first dose. This would also mean the demand for new vaccines will be very limited, unless they are approved and used as a third dose or for use in children. While vaccination is now largely driven by the coverage of the second dose, it will move according to schedule. Around 42% of the adult population in the country is now fully vaccinated with both doses.