India to hold off vaccine exports until domestic demands met: AP

India will hold off on exports of coronavirus vaccines until a “significant proportion” of its domestic population is inoculated, the head of the country’s Covid-19 task force told the Associated Press.

There is no exact time frame on a lifting of restrictions on vaccine exports, the report said, citing an interview with Vinod K. Paul. While a resumption is still “on the radar,” another factor that India will consider before doing so is when vaccine stockpiles are visible, he said.

The Indian government in April banned Covid vaccine exports amid the country’s devastating second wave. The Serum Institute of India, the world’s largest supplier of vaccines, has said it may not be able to start delivering doses until the end of the year.

Confirmed coronavirus cases in India have surpassed 29 million, while deaths have surged beyond 380,000. Experts believe both numbers are vastly undercounted.