Covax stalled, India to start vaccine export in October, expects surplus

Mansukh Mandaviya Monday announced that Vaccine Maitri will resume “in order to fulfil the commitment of India towards COVAX".

Monday's decision comes in the backdrop of India’s Covid-19 vaccination coverage surpassing the landmark figure of 80 crore doses. (Express photo by Deepak Joshi)

THREE MONTHS after it put on hold Covid vaccine exports to combat a ferocious second wave, India said Monday that it will resume its flagship Vaccine Maitri initiative in the fourth quarter starting October to reduce supply inequity in poorer nations.

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said India’s vaccine manufacturers are expected to produce more than 30 crore doses in October for the domestic drive — and that surplus supply will be used to fulfill the country’s commitment towards the global fight against Covid.

Mandaviya said the Government is receiving 26 crore doses from domestic manufacturers this month. “The rate of vaccination is also constantly increasing. On four days, we have administered more than one crore doses each. Today also, there is a possibility that we might cross the one-crore mark.

In October, we have a possibility of receiving more than 30 crore doses,” he said.

“Looking ahead, we expect more doses as production increases. Biological E and other companies will also arrive with their vaccines in the market. Keeping this in view, in the next quarter, after fulfilling our domestic requirements and by further increasing vaccine production, we will take forward Vaccine Maitri,” Mandaviya said.

India, the world’s leading vaccine manufacturer, had started external supplies under Vaccine Maitri on January 20 in the form of grant-in-aid and commercial sales, and through COVAX, the multilateral initiative aimed at global access to Covid vaccines led by Gavi, Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and WHO.

However, the initiative, through which 6.63 crore doses were exported, came to a halt in May, with India facing a severe shortage for its immunisation programme amid a surging second wave.

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Monday’s decision comes at a time when India’s vaccination drive has surpassed 80 crore doses — effectively, 65 per cent of the estimated adult population has received the first dose and 22 per cent fully vaccinated.

The latest announcement will have significant public health implications in poorer countries that are facing a critical shortfall in access to Covid vaccines. According to a joint COVAX statement issued on September 8, on its supply forecast for 2021 and early 2022, only 240 million doses had been delivered to 139 countries in six months.

Describing the current global access to vaccines as “unacceptable”, the statement attributed the reduction in supplies to “export restrictions, particularly with respect to uncertainty around the resumption of exports from the Serum Institute of India (SII), a key COVAX supplier”.

The other reasons that resulted in a reduction in global supplies are scale-up challenges at manufacturing sites of Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca, and pending regulatory approvals for Novavax.

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The first phase of Vaccine Maitri focussed on the immediate neighbourhood: Maldives, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Myanmar, as also Mauritius and Seychelles. Through the initiative, vaccines were supplied to 95 nations across geographies, including the smaller and more vulnerable nations in Africa, and conflict-hit regions like Syria.

Kaunain Sheriff M

As City Editor ( Delhi) at the Indian Express, Kaunain Sheriff leads city reporting with a sharp focus on accountability journalism, data-driven stories, and ground-level impact. As the National Health Editor he leads the newsroom’s in-depth coverage of pressing health issues. He is the author of Johnson & Johnson Files: The Indian Secrets of a Global Giant, a definitive investigation into the accountability of one of the world’s most powerful pharmaceutical corporations. Areas of Expertise Investigative Reporting: Has deep expertise in investigative reporting spanning public health, regulatory affairs, drug safety, and the criminal justice system. His work sits at the intersection of governance, law, and accountability, with a particular focus on how regulatory failures, institutional lapses, and policy decisions affect citizens’ rights and safety. Data Journalism: Has extensively on big data–driven investigations, including analyses of flagship government schemes and large datasets on criminal trials, uncovering systemic gaps. Global Collaborations Kaunain is a key contributor to major international journalistic projects: The Implant Files: Collaborated with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) to expose global malpractices in the medical device industry. Chinese Big-Data Investigation: Uncovered how a foreign data firm monitored thousands of prominent Indian institutions and individuals in real-time. Awards & Recognition His commitment to "Journalism of Courage" has been recognized with the industry's highest honors: Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism SOPA Award (Society of Publishers in Asia) Red Ink Award (Mumbai Press Club) Indian Express Excellence Awards (Triple recipient for investigations into the NSA abuse in UP, Vyapam scam, and the anti-Sikh riots). Education: Studied Mechanical Engineering at Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU), Bangalore, before moving to Delhi to pursue his passion for journalism. His engineering training informs his analytical approach, enabling him to decode technical, legal, and data-heavy systems with precision. Social media LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kaunain-sheriff-3a00ab99 X ( fromerly Twitter): @kaunain_s ... Read More

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