Sitting on a stock of more than 20 crore Covid-19 vaccine doses, the Narendra Modi government may start commercial exports soon, a top government official said. Government data shows that till Thursday, states and Union Territories had more than 22.45 crore balance and un-utilised doses available.
On top of it, the government is expecting delivery of around 31 crore doses in the month of November. “I don’t think that states/UTs will be administering more than 20-22 crore doses… what will we do with it, we will export,” the official said.
By December, India may have excess vaccine supply with a balance of more than 30 crore doses. Going by the estimates of the official, by November, around 9 to 11 crore doses will further be added to the available balance of 22 crore.
Meanwhile, the government has already given permission to Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII) to export 1 crore doses of Covishield to global vaccine-sharing platform COVAX, a programme sponsored by the Gavi vaccine alliance along with the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI).
Till March 25, COVAX had been supplied with 28 million Covishield doses and was expecting an additional 40 million doses to be available in March, and up to 50 million doses in April. However, due to the outbreak of a brutal second wave, India had closed the exports.
The official said that soon Covaxin can also be sent for COVAX. “As soon as the supply exceeds in India, what will we do with those doses… we will send Covaxin also to COVAX.”
Apart from 1 crore doses to COVAX, another 1 crore doses will be sent to five countries. “We are also considering opening commercial exports,” he reiterated.
Biological E’s Delayed Vaccine May Now be Used in Exports
Hyderabad-based pharmaceutical firm Biological E’s Covid-19 vaccine Corbevax is expected to come up for emergency approval by the end of this month or in December.
However, by the time the vaccine becomes available, there won’t be many takers in India. Government data shows that India has already given the first shot of Covid-19 vaccine to 82% and second dose to 42% of the adult population. It means that at least 82% of the population won’t be eligible to take a shot of Corbevax, the vaccine for which the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare made an advance payment of Rs 1,500 crore in June.
However, the vaccine is now expected to go aggressively for exports.
“Several countries across the world are still eagerly waiting for vaccine supplies. There are 195 countries around the globe and just 40 have reached 75% vaccination coverage… Rest of the 150 countries have just managed to inoculate 30% of their population,” the official said, while answering the question on the utility of Biological E’s vaccine in the coming months.
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