SII resumes vaccine export, Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin accepted for Canada entry

The news of the resumption of Covid vaccine export by the Serum Institute of India comes in the wake of Canada government’s decision to include India’s locally developed Covaxin in the list of approved vaccines for entry into the country. A report by Krishnanand Tripathi

New Delhi:India has resumed export of Covid vaccines to the other countries after seven months as the number of Covid cases in the country has declined significantly after the ferocious second wave that ravaged the country in May-June this year. Pune based Serum Institute of India, world’s largest vaccine manufacturer by volume, Friday announced that the vaccine export has started.

“I am pleased to announce that the much awaited COVAX supplies will resume today from SerumInstIndia,” Adar Poonawalla, CEO of Serum Institute of India, said in a tweet.

Poonawalla said it would go a long way in restoring vaccine supply equality in the world and especially in low and middle income countries.

In March this year, the Centre had halted the vaccine export as the new daily case number reached close to 2,00,000 a day.

Though the government had allowed the export of small quantities of vaccines to some African and other low-income countries in April. According to the latest information available on the ministry of external affairs’ website, the last shipment of 2.568 lakh vaccines were sent to Syria on April 16.

Covaxin approved for Canada entry

The news of the resumption of Covid vaccine export by the Serum Institute of India comes in the wake of Canada government’s decision to include India’s locally developed Covaxin in the list of approved vaccines for entry into the country.

Hyderabad based Bharat Biotech that developed Covaxin in partnership with Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) and National Institute of Virology Pune, Thursday announced that its Covaxin has been included in the list of approved vaccines for entry into Canada.

In a statement, the Canadian government said Bharat Biotech's Covaxin and two Chinese vaccines produced by Sinopharm and Sinovac will be accepted for entry into Canada from November 30.

Early this month, the World Health Organisation (WHO) approved Covaxin in the list of approved Covid vaccines for emergency use.