India suspends COVID-19 vaccine export, Stepanov confirms

"We keep negotiating with Indian partners on shipments of contracted and paid AstraZeneca’s Covishield vaccine. Indeed, there is a problem with obtaining vaccine export permission. We work through different channels, both the Prime Minister and the President of Ukraine [are involved]... We had to receive another 1.5 million doses by the end of March. We are waiting for vaccine export permission," Stepanov told journalists, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

At the same time, the minister added that there is a misunderstanding on part of the Government of India over the discussion that began in Ukraine regarding the vaccine produced at the facilities of the Serum Institute of India.

It became known the day before that India suspended exports of the Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine due to an increase in new cases inside the country and to meet domestic demand for the vaccine.

In February, Ukraine received the first batch of Oxford / AstraZeneca (Covishield) coronavirus vaccine — 500,000 doses — from the Serum Institute of India.

As of the morning of March 25, 155,587 people were vaccinated in Ukraine, of whom 155,586 people received one dose and one person completed vaccination (received two doses).

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