India delays jab supplies to UN-backed vaccine programme

The move is a blow to global vaccine distribution as India’s Serum Institute is the biggest supplier of shots to COVAX.

The deliveries of vaccines from the world’s biggest manufacturer in India are going to be delayed in March and April due to increasing demand within the country which is struggling with a surge in COVID-19 infections, according to the United Nations-backed vaccine alliance Gavi. “Delays in granting further export licences for Serum Institute of India (SII)-produced COVID-19 vaccine doses are due to the increased demand of COVID-19 vaccines in India,” a spokesperson from Gavi said on Thursday. The news is a further blow to global vaccine distribution, especially in poorer countries, as the jabs produced by SII represent the main supplies to COVAX, an international platform designed to guarantee vaccine equitable access for poorer countries.