BREAKING—due to surging #COVID19 cases, India 🇮🇳 has frozen all major exports of AstraZeneca #COVIDVaccine made by Serum Institute of India, world’s biggest vaccine-maker, to meet domestic demand as infections rise. This will also delay supplies to COVAX.
reuters.com/article/health…
reuters.com/article/health…
2) “COVAX has so far received 17.7 million AstraZeneca doses from the SII, of the 60.5 million doses India has shipped in total, and many countries are relying on the programme to immunise their citizens. There have been no vaccine exports from India since Thursday.”
3) “Everything else has taken a backseat, for the time being at least,” said one of the sources. Both sources had direct knowledge of the matter, but declined to be named as the discussions are not public.
4) “No exports, nothing till the time the India situation stabilises. The government won’t take such a big chance at the moment when so many need to be vaccinated in India.”
India’s foreign ministry and the SII did not immediately reply to requests for comment.
India’s foreign ministry and the SII did not immediately reply to requests for comment.
5) “SOME DELAYS ALREADY The SII has already delayed shipments of the AstraZeneca drug to Brazil, Britain, Morocco and Saudi Arabia.
UNICEF, the U.N. children’s agency that is procuring and distributing vaccines for COVAX, had no comment.
UNICEF, the U.N. children’s agency that is procuring and distributing vaccines for COVAX, had no comment.
6) “COVAX has a deal to buy 1.1 billion doses of the AstraZeneca and Novavax shots that the SII is making in bulk, mainly for low- and middle-income countries.
UNICEF in Vietnam said vaccine production issues had led to delays in deliveries to all countries (relying on) COVAX.”
UNICEF in Vietnam said vaccine production issues had led to delays in deliveries to all countries (relying on) COVAX.”
7) “Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cabinet decided this week to widen its inoculation drive by including everyone above 45 from April 1. With 11.7 million cases, India has reported the highest number of coronavirus infections after the 🇺🇸 and 🇧🇷.
8) I hate to say it—vaccine nationalism and hijacking of shipments is becoming more and more common.
I’ve now heard and seen more and more examples that I believe it’s gonna be a problem for a while. So frustrating.
I’ve now heard and seen more and more examples that I believe it’s gonna be a problem for a while. So frustrating.
9) Also, I feel bad for Canada 🇨🇦— it’s been reliant on Europe-made vaccines, US-made/loaned vaccines, and India SSI made vaccines. And now SSI source is temporarily frozen.
I think post-pandemic, major countries will need to develop more local vaccine manufacturing capacity.
I think post-pandemic, major countries will need to develop more local vaccine manufacturing capacity.
10) Vaccine export halt maybe also due to partly some concerns about this...
https://twitter.com/drericding/status/1374869998506770433
11) US probably needs to now loan / donate more vaccines to other countries. 4 million is too little. Besides, US has an AZ vaccine stockpile it’s not using yet. google.com/amp/s/www.alja…
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