On Monday, the Union health ministry said that starting in October 2021, India would begin exports of vaccinations against Coronavirus disease (Covid-19) under the government’s “Vaccine Maitri” scheme. The vaccine excess would be utilised to fulfil the United Nations’ commitment to the global fight against Covid-19, according to Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya. Gavi, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), and the World Health Organization (WHO) are leading COVAX, which seeks to ensure equitable distribution of Covid-19 vaccinations, focusing on low- and middle-income countries.
India shipped 66 million Covaxin and Covishield vaccine doses to the COVAX facility by the end of April, including commercial supplies, grants, and supplies for use in low- and middle-income nations throughout the world. The health minister stated that more than 300 million vaccine doses would be manufactured in October and at least 1 billion in the following quarter.
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Even though the health ministry issued no formal orders, commerce and industry ministry, department of promotion of industry and internal trade, or directorate general of foreign exchange to prohibit the export of Covid-19 vaccines from the country, India halted vaccine export after new cases began to rise during the second wave in the country.
With the arrival of the brutal second wave in India in April, the country began actively vaccinating its people, eventually expanding coverage to all adults on May 1. According to the Ministry of External Affairs statistics, vaccination supplies have been delivered to 93 countries so far for health care professionals with the UN and its peacekeepers.
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