New Delhi: India will resume the export and donations of surplus vaccines from next month, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya announced on Monday, each day before Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits the US where the difficulty was likely to be raised by President Joe Biden.
India, the world’s biggest maker of vaccines overall, stopped vaccine exports in April to specialise in inoculating its own population as infections exploded.
The government wants to vaccinate all of its 94.4 crore adults by December and has thus far given a minimum of one dose to 61 per cent of them.
The resumption of exports deliberations come before PM Modi’s visit to Washington starting Tuesday where vaccines are likely to be discussed at a summit of the leaders of the Quad countries – the us , India, Japan and Australia.
The renewed export drive, referred to as ‘Vaccine Maitri’ will prioritise neighbouring countries first, Mr Mandaviya said, adding that that since April, the country’s monthly vaccine output has since quite doubled and is about to quadruple to over 300 million doses next month
“Neighbouring (countries) first,” he told reporters, adding only excess supplies would be exported.
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