World Health Organisation (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus thanked Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya for announcing the resumption of COVID-19 vaccine shipments to the COVAX global pool in October. COVAX is an initiative for equitable global access to COVID-19 vaccines.
“Thank you Health Minister @mansukhmandviya for announcing #India will resume crucial #COVID19 vaccine shipments to #COVAX in October. This is an important development in support of reaching the 40% vaccination target in all countries by the end of the year. #VaccinEquity,” Ghebreyesus said in a tweet. The WHO director-general further said India’s decision to export Covid-19 vaccines “is an important development in support of reaching the 40 per cent vaccination target in all countries by the end of the year”. Mandaviya on Monday announced that India will resume the export of surplus COVID-19 vaccines in the fourth quarter of 2021 under the ‘Vaccine Maitri’ program and to meet its commitment to the COVAX global pool, but vaccinating its citizens remains the topmost priority of the government. India stopped the export of COVID-19 vaccines after the second wave of the pandemic hit the country in April this year.
Talking about the expected production and supply trends in the coming months, the minister said the government will receive over 30 crore doses of COVID-19 vaccines in October and over 100 crore doses in the coming quarter from October-December. Surplus vaccines will be exported as per India’s commitment to the collective fight against Covid-19, he said while addressing the media earlier this week. The cumulative doses administered so far across the country have crossed 82.65 crores.
