Lagatar24 Desk
India will resume exporting surplus COVID-19 vaccines next month under the ‘Vaccine Maitri’ programme and to meet its COVAX global pool obligation, but vaccinating its own citizens remains the government’s top goal, according to Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya. Gavi, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), and WHO are leading COVAX.
The minister announced that the government will get more than 300 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine in October and more than 1 billion doses in the next three months. He also stated that the total number of doses supplied across the country has surpassed 810 million, with the remaining 100 million doses being delivered in just 11 days.
Mandaviya stated that vaccination of our own citizens remains the government’s first priority, and that the export of surplus vaccines would commence in the next quarter (October-December) under the Vaccine Maitri programme and to meet India’s COVAX commitment. This is in line with our motto of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’, he said. He stated that the excess vaccine supply will be used to meet India’s obligation to the international community in the fight against Covid-19.
He emphasised the importance of indigenous Covid vaccine research and production in India, saying that India was simultaneously undertaking research and production of Covid vaccines on such a large scale.
India’s vaccination campaign has served as an example for the rest of the globe, he said, and it is moving at a rapid pace.
He predicted that more than 30 crore doses will be produced in October, and more than 100 crores in the approaching quarter, when asked about the expected production and supply trends in the future months.
