Last checked at 
* Vaccinations peaked at 4.5 million doses on April 5
* Inoculations have averaged about 3 million a day since
then
* Vaccine maker appeals to Biden to lift raw-material export
ban
(Adds vaccine maker's appeal to Biden)
By Krishna N. Das
NEW DELHI, April 16 (Reuters) - India's daily COVID-19
vaccinations have slowed from their peak early this month while
new infections have set a record, government data showed on
Friday, as its main producer of shots urged the United States to
end a ban on raw material exports.
After giving and selling tens of millions of COVID-19
vaccine doses abroad, India has suddenly found itself short of
the drug. It has abruptly changed rules to allow it to
fast-track vaccine imports, having earlier rebuffed foreign
drugmakers like Pfizer.
Vaccinations peaked at 4.5 million doses on April 5 but have
averaged about 3 million a day since then, according to the
government's Co-Win portal to coordinate immunisations.
The AstraZeneca vaccine, locally made by the Serum
Institute of India (SII), accounts for more than 91% of the
115.5 million doses given in the country. But production ramp-up
at SII, the world's biggest vaccine maker, has been delayed by a
raw-material shortage.
SII Chief Executive Adar Poonawalla directly appealed to
U.S. President Joe Biden to end the supply curb, which is aimed
at supporting American vaccine companies, after diplomatic
efforts made little progress.
"Respected @POTUS, if we are to truly unite in beating this
virus, on behalf of the vaccine industry outside the U.S., I
humbly request you to lift the embargo of raw material exports
out of the U.S. so that vaccine production can ramp up,"
Poonawalla said on Twitter.
India has reported the most number of coronavirus cases in
the world this month. Its total of 14.3 million is the most
after the United States, with 174,308 deaths.
Many vaccination centres in India are now rationing supplies
though it is only inoculating people above 45 years, having
started the campaign in mid-January with front-line workers.
It has administered the most doses in the world after the
United States and China, but it ranks much lower per capita.
Many states have sought an expansion of the immunisation
drive to include all adults, but the government has said doses
are "finite".
The government said on Friday the country had a stock of
about 30 million doses. Going by its vaccination trend in the
past week, that will be enough for 10 days.
India this week gave emergency authorisation to Russia's
Sputnik V vaccine and imports to cover as many as 125 million
people will start this month. The government has also urged
Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson and Johnson to sell
their shots to India.
It has also allowed biomedical research body Haffkine
Institute, based in the state of Maharashtra, to produce the
home-grown shot Covaxin as developer Bharat Biotech struggles to
boost its output.
(Reporting by Krishna N. Das; additional reporting by Sankalp
Phartiyal; editing by Larry King)
