Colombo, April 10 (newsin.asia): India’s vaccine manufacturing capacity is being enhanced to meet the emergency global demand of duly approved COVID-19 vaccines, the Indian High Commission said in a release here on Saturday, in answer to queries about further supplies of the Indian COVISHIELD vaccines to Sri Lanka.
“Their ongoing supply is calibrated in view of several factors, which include production and domestic requirement,” the mission explained.
Sri Lanka has administered the first dose of the COVISHIELD vaccines and is expecting India to supply more so that the vaccination program could continue. But the Indian supplier has asked for time to renew supplies due to production constraints and also mounting international and domestic commitments. India is the single largest manufacturer of COVID-19 vaccines in the world.
“In line with its commitment to collectively fight COVID-19 pandemic, India has supplied 64.51 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines (as on 09 April 2021) to 85 countries, bilaterally as well as through COVAX, and also to UN health workers and peacekeepers. The latest of these supplies have been delivered as recently as last week to countries in Asia, the Pacific and South America.”
“Three consignments of Astra Zeneca COVID-19 vaccine manufactured in India, totaling over 1.2 million doses, arrived in Sri Lanka in January, February and March this year – the last one through the COVAX facility. The first of these consignments enabled the launch of COVID vaccination programme in Sri Lanka ahead of the earlier plan.”
“India’s vaccine manufacturing capacity – already the largest in the world – is being enhanced to meet the emergency global demand of duly approved COVID-19 vaccines. Their ongoing supply is calibrated in view of several factors, which include production and domestic requirement.”
“India will continue to be in the forefront of the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and will also continue its valuable cooperation with relevant stakeholders,” the release said.
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