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India: WHO vaccine programme delayed to end of year

Published:Tuesday | May 18, 2021 | 11:26 AM
In this Wednesday, March 24, 2021 file photo, a nurse holds a vial of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, manufactured by the Serum Institute of India and provided through the global COVAX initiative, prior to vaccination in Machakos, Kenya. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga, file)

NEW DELHI — The Serum Institute of India says it hopes to start delivering coronavirus vaccine doses to the World Health Organization-backed effort known as COVAX and to other countries by the end of the year, which will significantly set back global efforts to immunise people against COVID-19.

In March, India's Serum Institute, the world's biggest vaccine maker and the main supplier of COVID-19 vaccine doses to COVAX, said it was postponing all exports of coronavirus vaccines to deal with the explosive surge of cases on the subcontinent.

At the time, the WHO and Gavi announced the delay would affect about 90 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, but that they expected deliveries to resume by June.

“SII has delivered more than 200 million doses,” the company said in a statement posted to its Twitter account. It says in the past few days, there's been “intense discussion” on the decision of the Indian government and vaccine manufacturers about the possible export of vaccines.

“We continue to scale up and prioritise India,” the company says.

“We also hope to start delivering to COVAX and other countries by the end of the year.”

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