India To Resume COVID Vaccine Export Under 'Vaccine Maitri', Neighbouring Nations Likely To Get Priority

The Union Health Minister said that India's COVID vaccination drive has been a role model for the world and it is marching ahead with great speed.

Representative Photo

New Delhi: Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Monday announced that India will resume the export of surplus COVID-19 vaccines from next quarter under the 'Vaccine Maitri' programme.

The initiative will be resumed to meet India’s commitment to the COVAX global pool. 

However, vaccinating own citizens remains the topmost priority of the government, the Union Health Minister stated.

Addressing the media, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said that the government will receive over 30 crore doses of COVID-19 vaccines in October and over 100 crore doses in the next three months, news agency PTI reported.

He informed that cumulative COVID vaccine doses administered so far across the country have crossed the 81 crore-mark and the last 10 crore doses were administered in only 11 days.

Announcing the resumption of the 'Vaccine Maitri' programme, Mandaviya emphasised that inoculating Indian citizens remains the government's topmost priority.

The export of surplus vaccines would begin in the next quarter (October-December) under the Vaccine Maitri programme in order to fulfill the commitment of India towards COVAX.

“This is in line with our motto of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam'”, he said.

According to the Health Minister, the surplus supply of vaccines will be used to fulfill India's commitment towards the world for the collective fight against COVID-19.

COVAX is co-led by Gavi, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and WHO to ensure “fair and equitable access for every country in the world”.

The Union Health Minister said that India's vaccination drive has been a role model for the world and it is marching ahead with great speed.

Neighbouring countries of India will get priority on resumption of exports under 'Vaccine Maitri', news agency ANI reported sources as saying.

Neighbouring countries of India to get priority on resumption of exports under 'Vaccine Maitri': Sources

— ANI (@ANI) September 20, 2021

Reuters had reported last week that India has been considering restarting exports of the COVID-19 vaccines. 

India donated or sold 66 million COVID vaccine doses to nearly 100 countries before the exports were prohibited in April as the pandemic’s second wave hit the nation, the agency said.

The announcement comes ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Washington this week for the first in-person Quad summit where vaccines are likely to be discussed.

India aims to vaccinate all of its adult population by December. So far 64 per cent of adults in the country have received at least one dose and 22 per cent have received both doses.

The inoculation drive has seen a major boost in vaccine manufacturing with Serum Institute of India more than trebling its output of the Covishield jabs at 200 million doses a month from April levels, Reuters reported.

Indian companies have set up the capacity to produce nearly 3 billion Coronavirus vaccine doses a year, it stated.