AP Interview: India could resume vaccine exports by June
The world’s largest vaccine maker, based in India, will be able to restart exports of AstraZeneca doses by June if new coronavirus infections subside in the country, its chief executive says
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The world's largest vaccine maker, based in India will be able to restart exports of AstraZeneca doses by June if new coronavirus infections subside in the country, its chief executive said Tuesday.
But a continued surge could result in more delays because the Serum Institute of India would have to meet domestic needs, Adar Poonawalla warned in an interview with The Associated Press.
The company is a key supplier for the U.N.-backed COVAX program that aims to distribute vaccines equitably in the world. On March 25, COVAX announced a major setback in its vaccine rollout because a surge in infections in India had caused the Serum Institute of India to cater to domestic demand, resulting in a delay in global shipments of up to 90 million doses.
Since then, daily new infections in India have almost doubled, with the biggest single-day spike of over 100,000 new cases on Monday. Infections are being reported faster in India than anywhere else in the world, prompting tougher virus restrictions in New Delhi and its financial capital, Mumbai
India initially immunized the most vulnerable, but broadened that to everyone over 45 on April 1 because of the surge in cases. The resulting increased demand forced the halt in exports. Since then, several top state officials have urged the federal government to further expand vaccinations.
Poonawalla said the company has “chosen to prioritize India temporarily for two months” and hopes to then restart exports.
If India's surge in infections doesn't subside, "I am scared of what ... we will have to do, and what will happen,” he said. “We are going to have to keep supplying to India, and not anywhere else. Because we have to protect our nation.”
He acknowledged that has put a “strain on our contractual obligations” to provide vaccines to other countries, and that he has been fielding phone calls from various heads of state.
“I've had to politely explain to everybody the situation,” he said, adding that most world leaders understood because they were facing the same issues — the needs of domestic politics and questions raised by opposition parties and the public.
“Nationalism is happening ... to a certain extent, everywhere,” Poonawalla said, pointing to vaccine export controls imposed by Europe, and the use in the U.S. of the Defense Production Act to prevent the export of critical raw materials needed to scale up vaccine manufacturing.
He said the unavailability of these raw materials, such as the specific medium needed to grow microorganisms, could affect the Serum Institute's production of another vaccine, Novavax, which is still being tested in India. It has signed a deal to supply Novavax to COVAX, but pivoting to different suppliers of the raw materials would result in a delay of five to six months, he said.
“The crunch ... for supplies is today," he said.
___
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.