India to resume Covishield vaccine export soon

The Serum Institute of India is set to resume export of the Covishield vaccine to the international COVAX programme in order to combat the global coronavirus pandemic, reports claim. The world's largest vaccine manufacturer under Adar Poonawalla halted exports in April after the Central government chose to redirect supplies to combat India's second Covid-19 wave.

According to the repor published by the Economic Times, the Serum Institute will export a total 50 lakh doses of vaccines to Nepal, Tajikistan, Mozambique and Bangaldeah under the UN-backed COVAX programme which aims to supply vaccines to countries that have insufficient supply. The SII will commence Covid vaccine export under the COVAX programme from November 23 and Nepal will receive the first lot of Covishield on November 24 the report said.

In October, the Central government had allowed export to Nepal, Myanmar and Bangladesh under the Vaccine Maitri programme following the ramping up off Covishield production by the Serum Institute. In a recent communication to the Union Health Ministry, Prakash Kumar Singh, Director, Government and Regulatory Affairs at Serum Institute of India (SII) is learnt to have informed that the Pune-based firm has manufactured stock of 24,89,15,000 doses of Covishield, the ET reported.

"The first consignment from the main Pune facility was scheduled to leave for Nepal today. However, the delivery has been delayed by two-three days due to some reason. The exact date of the consignment dispatch is still awaited," news agency ANI quoted a Serum Institute official as saying, on Monday.