India is one of the world's biggest drugmakers, and an increasing number of countries have already approached it for procuring anti-coronavirus vaccines.
The Ministry of External Affairs has said that the supply of made-in-India vaccines abroad would continue while also taking care of the country's domestic requirements. Asserting that India has not imposed any export ban on anti-coronavirus vaccines, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, "We have always said the supply of made-in-India vaccines abroad would continue taking into account our domestic requirements."
"Let me reiterate that there is no ban on export of vaccines. In fact, the website of our ministry is being regularly updated to reflect the supply of vaccines that are happening on a periodic basis," he added.
The MEA's assertion comes amid an ongoing debate over export of vaccines with some states having flagged a "shortage" of doses and the Centre maintaining that sufficient quantity of the jabs have been allocated to all the states and that many of them have been unable to inoculate all eligible beneficiaries.
On a question on AstraZeneca sending notice to the Serum Institute of India for not fulfilling its international commitment under 'GAVI' and 'COVAX', Bagchi said, "Regarding the issue specific to Serum institute, I would refer you to the company itself, they would be best placed to answer that question."
On the issue of procurement of raw materials from the US for vaccines manufacturing, the MEA spokesperson recalled that Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla had informed during a media briefing that the issue had been taken up with the US.
India is one of the world's biggest drugmakers, and an increasing number of countries have already approached it for procuring anti-coronavirus vaccines.
With PTI inputs