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By Krishna N. Das
NEW DELHI, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Serum Institute of India (SII)
has pledged to supply about 40 million doses of the AstraZeneca
COVID-19 shot to the global vaccine-distribution network
COVAX by year-end after resuming exports last week, COVAX
co-lead GAVI told Reuters.
The Indian government said this week it was ready to
"expeditiously" approve more vaccine exports to Africa to help
fight the Omicron variant either through COVAX or bilaterally,
while SII's output has surged.
SII last week sent some 1.4 million doses in total to Nepal
and Tajikistan through COVAX. Before the Indian government
stopped all vaccine exports in April to inoculate its own
population, SII had shipped only around 30 million doses to
COVAX.
The company has a deal to supply up to 550 million doses of
the shot to COVAX, which mainly provides the vaccines to
low-income countries.
A GAVI spokesperson told Reuters late on Tuesday that actual
vaccine delivery from SII would depend on paperwork including
liability agreements with countries. Also, the manufacturer must
provide data on shelf life and other things to countries in
advance for them to accept or decline supplies.
SII has now nearly quadrupled its output of the shot, which
it calls Covishield, to as much as 240 million doses a month
from April levels.
Two sources with knowledge of the matter said SII was keen
to accelerate exports as domestic demand in India had abated.
Reuters could not immediately contact an SII spokesperson for
comment.
Tens of millions of Indians are either overdue their second
Covishield dose or waiting for the 12-16 weeks between doses -
leading to a huge vaccine stockpile in the country.
India has administered at least one vaccine dose in 84% of
its 944 million adults and two doses in 48%. Vaccination for
people under the age of 18 has not started.
(Reporting by Krishna N. Das; Editing by Emelia
Sithole-Matarise)
