PH better look for other suppliers as India halts AstraZeneca exports

India’s recent decision to suspend all exports of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines produced in that country will further add to the delay in the Philippines’ mass inoculation program, according to an economic analyst.

“Several Asian countries will have to seek alternative sources for COVID-19 inoculations as India delays shipments of AstraZeneca vaccines to prioritize its own needs. India is one of the world’s largest producers of coronavirus vaccines, supplying millions of doses of the AstraZeneca jab to the COVAX scheme for middle- and low-income countries,” Moody’s Analytics associate economist Eric Chiang said in an April 5 report, referring to the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access Facility.

“However, raw material shortages affected production partly due to export bans from the US on key components in vaccine production, such as vials, glass, plastic and stoppers. The export curb deepens the problems facing the COVAX scheme, relied on by 64 poorer countries, and adds to previous setbacks that include production glitches and a lack of funding contribution from wealthy nations,” Chiang said.

The Serum Institute of India manufactures these AstraZeneca vaccines.

Countries affected

Chiang said South Korea, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam were among the countries to be affected.

“The shortage could leave these countries further behind in inoculations, increasing the vaccine inequity and undermine international efforts to counter the pandemic,” Chiang added.

The Department of Health on Monday reported that the country had already run out of AstraZeneca vaccines, from the batch of 480,000 doses that arrived on March 4.

—Ben De Vera