India Halts AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine Exports; Know Why

New Delhi: India has put on hold exports of AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine made by the Serum Institute of India (SII) as it expands its own immunisation efforts amid a surge in COVID-19 infection.

This will affect supplies to GAVI/WHO-backed COVAX vaccine-sharing facility through which more than 180 countries are expected to get the vaccine doses.

The UK has received only half of the 10m doses it ordered from the SII.

According to available on the Foreign Ministry’s website, no vaccine has been exported from India since Thursday.

“No export, nothing till the time situation in India stabilises. The government won’t take such a big risk at this time when many are yet to be vaccinated in the country,” a source familiar with the development was quoted as saying by Reuters.

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