Curbs On COVID-19 Vaccine Export Is Good News For Indians, But Terrible News For Poor Countries

With an aim to prioritise its own people over the rest of the world, India is imposing curbs on the export of COVID-19 vaccines made in the country.

This doesn't mean that there is a ban on vaccine exports, but there will be some restrictions so that enough doses are available domestically in the coming months.

AP

From the 1st of April, everyone who is above the age of 45 can get the vaccine, which would mean that there is a need for more supplies in the country.

With this in mind, the Centre has also asked Bharat Biotech to significantly raise its production capacity of Covaxin.

Panic across the world

While more vaccines in the domestic market is definitely good news for Indians, the reports of export restrictions are causing some panic around the world.

That is because India is one of the biggest vaccine suppliers to the world and any curbs on exports can have global implications.

Reuters

So far, India supplied more than 60 million doses of Made-in-India vaccines to over 75 countries including through COVAX which is a global initiative aimed at equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines.

Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and its partners said Thursday that the Serum Institute of India, will face increasing domestic demands as coronavirus infections surge.

"Delays in securing supplies of SII-produced COVID-19 vaccine doses are due to the increased demand for COVID-19 vaccines in India,'' Gavi said.

AP

The move will affect up to 40 million doses of the Oxford University-AstraZeneca vaccines being manufactured by the Serum Institute that were to be delivered for COVAX this month, as well as 50 million expected next month.

Gavi said the Serum Institute has pledged that "alongside supplying India, it will prioritize the COVAX multilateral solution for equitable distribution.''

Gavi, which runs COVAX jointly with the World Health Organization and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, has distributed 31 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine -- 28 million from the Serum Institute and another 3 million from a South Korean contractor also producing it.

AFP

The program had been aiming to deliver some 237 million AstraZeneca vaccines through the end of May. A Gavi spokesman said the delays were not expected to affect the overall goal of shipping some 2 billion doses worldwide through COVAX by the end of the year.

Amid the growing concerns, India has said that it has not imposed any ban on exports of COVID-19 vaccines and its position remains unchanged about continuing to supply the vaccines to partner countries in a phased manner.