India, the world’s leading vaccine producer, will resume exporting and donating coronavirus vaccines in October, after suspending shipments due to a devastating increase in COVID-19 cases in April in the country, authorities reported Monday.
Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya stated that the shipment of surplus vaccines reflects “India’s commitment to the global collective fight against COVID-19” although he warned that the country’s priority will remain to vaccinate its own population.
India was emerging as a major supplier of vaccines, especially for the UN-backed COVAX program that seeks to deliver COVID-19 vaccines to poor countries. The country began exporting vaccines in January but stopped to address the sharp increase in cases that occurred in April.
The suspension of shipments left many poor countries without vaccines.
Before the suspension, India had donated 66 million doses to almost 100 countries.
Mandaviya did not specify how many doses would be exported. He indicated that the monthly production of vaccines in the country had more than doubled since April and that in October it will reach 300 million doses.
“We will help the world and fulfill our commitment to COVAX,” he declared.
The Serum Institute of India, the world’s leading vaccine manufacturer, is currently producing about 150 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine per month, more than double the number from April.
The vaccination campaign in India has advanced in recent months.
The country of 1.4 billion people has applied more than 800 million doses. He has given at least one dose to more than 62% of the adult population, and two doses to 22% of the population.
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