Covid-19 vaccination: COVAX in talks with govt to ensure speedy deliveries

SII is committed to supplying 200 million doses to the collaboration

After the Centre asked vaccine makers — Serum Institute of India (SII) and Bharat Biotech — to prioritise deliveries of the Covid-19 vaccine to meet domestic requirements, global public-private outfit Gavi criticised the move. In fact, COVAX, the World Health Organisation (WHO)-led Covid-19 vaccine collaboration, has initiated talks with the Indian government to ensure deliveries can happen quickly.
 
In a statement Gavi, which is also co-leading the COVAX facility said, “Delays in granting further export licenses for SII-produced vaccine doses are due to the increased demand of Covid-19 vaccines in India.”
 
It further added: “SII has pledged that, alongside supplying India, it will prioritise the COVAX multilateral solution for equitable distribution. COVAX is in talks with the Government of India with a view to ensuring deliveries as quickly as possible.”
 
Amidst rising Covid-19 cases and opening up of vaccinations for all above 45, the government has asked the two vaccine makers to prioritise deliveries to the domestic market. The government has also placed an order of 100 million doses with SII last week and expects deliveries soon.
 
It is learnt that all the vaccines in the month of April may be delivered to the government by SII.

 
Gavi and WHO-led COVAX is ensuring that vaccines have an equitable distribution, and SII is committed to supplying 200 million doses at $3 per dose to the collaboration.
 
Shipments in March and April have been delayed. In fact, according to the Ministry of External Affairs, no vaccine shipment has gone out of the country after March 18 (see chart). COVAX was supposed to deliver over 230 million doses by May end to low- and medium-income countries.
 
The WHO has repeatedly criticised vaccine nationalism. In February, Soumya Swaminathan, chief scientist at WHO, had said that manufacturers need to prioritise COVAX to bilateral deals. “What we see today is kind of the opposite, that there are more bilateral deals than supplies to Covax,” she said.
Swaminathan had also insisted that countries in the high income, middle income and low income categories need to play by the rules as COVAX will only succeed if countries prioritise deliveries, and not take the resources away. “They should not impose export bans,” she quipped.