Need to calibrate supply, but no ban on vaccine exports

New Delhi, Mar 26: India has not imposed any ban on export of coronavirus vaccines and it will continue to supply them to partner countries over the coming weeks and months in a phased manner, sources told PTI.

They said given India''s manufacturing capacity and requirements of national vaccination programmes, there may be a need to calibrate the supply schedules from time-to-time.

The sources said all stakeholders will have to work together to adjust the schedules as required and the pandemic can only be dealt collectively by such cooperation.

"We had stated that keeping in view the domestic requirements of the phased rollout, India will continue to supply COVID-19 vaccines to partner countries over the coming weeks and months in a phased manner," said a source.

"This position remains unchanged. We have not imposed any ban on exports of vaccines unlike many other countries," the source added.

India started supplying the vaccine doses to foreign countries on January 20. The first countries to receive such vaccines were from the neighbourhood.

So far, India supplied more than 60 million doses of Made-in-India vaccines to over 75 countries including through COVAX which is a global initiative aimed at equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines.

The government has already announced that people who are 45 and older can be vaccinated from April 1.

It is ramping up the nationwide inoculation drive as the COVID-19 cases have increased in many states.