New Delhi: Senior advisor in the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Dr Suneela Garg earlier told ETV Bharat in an exclusive interview that the government has put a temporary halt on the export of Covid19 vaccine to other countries.
However, the spokesperson in the Health Ministry denied making any comment on the development.
Amidst a fresh surge of Covid19 cases in India and the rollout of vaccines for all people above 45 years of age, the demand to halt the export of vaccines assumed significance. Several state governments including Maharashtra, Punjab, Chhattisgarh, Delhi declared a shortage of Covid19 vaccines.
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"Subsequently we will be looking at more individuals. In addition, as the disease progress, children may also need immunisation because of the mutation...so first we will have to see our own supply," said Dr Garg, adding that India is looking to immune 35 crore people and for that, there is a requirement of 70 crore doses for the priority population.
"It's always better that you have the capacity to support your neighbouring countries, who are in much poorer condition and need a vaccine. However, we have to first see our position," said Dr Garg who is also the national president of the Indian Association of Preventive and Social Medicine (IAPSM) and Organised Medicine Academic Guild (OMAG).
Till now, India has supplied the Covid19 vaccine to more than 80 countries across the world under the mission Vaccine Maitri.
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India has supplied 644 lakh doses to the global community till April 2. Out of the total doses, 105 lakh have been supplied as a grant. As many as 357 lakh doses were exported on a commercial basis and 182 lakh exported under COVAX initiative.
The global vaccine alliance GAVI, which runs the COVAX programme had drier said that Indian vaccine supply to lower-income countries is being delayed as India battles a new wave of Covid19 infection.
GAVI in a statement had recently said that it had received 28 million Covishield doses from the Serum Institute of India (SII). However, it was not sure about additional supplies of 40 and 50 million doses in March and April.
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"I am sure that our companies will come with more doses, which will help us as well as other countries," said Dr Garg.
Countries like Maldives, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Myanmar were also aided by India during the crisis. Government statistics available in possession of ETV Bharat said that up to March 17, as many as 74 countries have received a total of 595.91 lakh doses of vaccines from India. Bangladesh received a maximum dose of 90 lakh out of which 20 lakh were given under grant and 70 lakh on a commercial basis. Morocco received 70 lakh doses and the UK 50 lakh doses under the commercial category. Brazil revived 40 lakh doses from India under the commercial category, while Nigeria received 39.24 lakh, Nepal received 23.48 lakh and Ethiopia received 21.84 lakh doses respectively.
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It may be mentioned here that India started exporting 'Made in India' vaccines to other countries since January 20. India's two vaccine manufacturers, namely Serum Institute of India (SII) and Bharat Biotech. have been producing the Covid19 vaccine as of now.
Meanwhile, sources in the Union Health Ministry said that the department has been exploring options to amicably resolve an issue related to the legal notice served by British-Swedish pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca to Serum Institute of India over delay in the supply of Covid19 vaccines.
SII has developed AstraZeneca and Oxford University's Covid19 vaccine-COVISHIELD. A surge in Covid19 infection has put several European and other countries looking for more vaccines to meet their demand.
