India to resume export of surplus Covid vaccines next month: Mandaviya

Govt to receive over 300 mn doses in Oct; over 1 bn in next three months, says Union Health Minister

India will resume export of surplus COVID-19 vaccines next month under the 'Vaccine Maitri' programme and to meet its commitment to the COVAX global pool, but vaccinating its own citizens remains the topmost priority of the government, Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Monday.

Addressing the media, the minister said the government will receive over 300 millon doses of COVID-19 vaccines in October and over 1 billion doses in the next three months.

He also said that cumulative doses administered so far across the country have crossed 810 million and the last 100 million doses were administered in only 11 days.

Asserting that vaccination of our own citizens remains the government's topmost priority, Mandaviya said the export of surplus vaccines would begin in the next quarter (October-December) under the Vaccine Maitri programme and in order to fulfill the commitment of India towards COVAX.

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

He said that 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.

Highlighting the importance of indigenous research and production of Covid vaccines in India, he said that it is due to the relentless efforts and guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that India was simultaneously undertaking research and production of Covid vaccines in such a big way.

India's vaccination drive has been a role model for the world and it is marching ahead with great speed, he said.

Talking about the expected production and supply trends in the coming months, he said that more than 300 million doses will be produced in October and more than 1 billion in the coming quarter.

India on Friday administered a record number of over 25 million COVID-19 vaccine doses on the occasion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 71st birthday.

The daily COVID-19 vaccination in the country was over 10 million on September 6, August 31 and August 27.

India took 85 days to touch the 100-million vaccination mark, 45 more days to cross the 200-million mark and 29 more days to reach the 300-million mark, according to the ministry.

The country took 24 days to reach 400 million from 300 million doses and then 20 more days to cross the 500 million vaccination mark on August 6, it said.

It took 19 more days to go past the 600-million mark and took only 13 days to reach 700 million from 600 million on September 7, the ministry said.

It then took just 11 days to reach 800 million from 700 million.