India, one of the world’s biggest vaccine producers, has imposed a de facto ban on jab exports as it seeks to prioritise local vaccinations amid an accelerating second wave of coronavirus infections.
The Serum Institute of India, the largest manufacturer of vaccines in the world and the biggest supplier to the international Covax programme, said it had been told to halt exports and that the measures could last as long as “two to three months”.
Gavi, the UN-backed international vaccine alliance, immediately warned that the controls would have a direct impact on the Covax scheme, set up with the World Health Organisation to ensure the equitable global distribution of at least 2bn Covid-19 vaccine doses in 2021.