India more likely to delay COVAX vaccine items for March, April, says UNICEF
25 March, 2021
India will probably delay deliveries of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine doses to the COVAX center backed by GAVI and the Globe Health Organization (Who exactly) for March and April, the programme's procurement and distributing spouse UNICEF told Reuters in early stages Thursday (Mar 25).
"We recognize that deliveries of COVID-19 vaccines to lower-income economies taking part in the COVAX center will probably face delays carrying out a setback in securing export licenses for even more doses of COVID-19 vaccines made by the Serum Institute of India (SII), likely to be delivered in March and April," UNICEF said in an email.
"COVAX is in talks with the federal government of India with a viewpoint to ensuring deliveries as quickly as possible."
Reuters reported on Wednesday that India had place a temporary hold on all key exports of the AstraZeneca shot created by SII, the world’s biggest vaccine maker, to meet up domestic demand as infections rise.
UNICEF also said that COVAX participant countries have also been told about lower-than-expected products of AstraZeneca doses manufactured in South Korea for March.
"Based on the challenges of the existing global supply environment, that is due to issues the business faces in rapidly scaling up source and optimising production functions for these early deliveries," UNICEF said.
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